“What” does Hashem מָה ה' אֱ˄קֶ י˃ שֹׁאֵל מֵ עִ מָּ˂ ask from us? Only to have: יִרְאָה Yir’ah (fear) from Him. Yir’ah means awareness of Hashem. Chazal explain that the word: מָה “what”, is similar to: מאה “one hundred”, so now the Passuk reads: It is “one hundred” that Hashem asks from us, meaning that a person should say 100 Brachos every day.
Unfortunately, so many people become aware of Hashem only when their unwanted “pecklach” arrive. Then, they run to Hashem, and start working on Bitachon and Tefila. The ideal awareness of Hashem is by making one hundred Brachos daily. The number “100”, besides the literal number, symbolizes a: רִבּוּי magnitude of Brachos; i.e., praise Hashem a lot! Not just a 5-minute Seder of saying “thank you” every day (although even 5 minutes is plenty good). The Torah is saying: Be positive! כָּל מַאי דְעָבֵיד רַחְמָנָא לְטַב Whatever Hashem does, is surely best. Being aware of Hashem, is tantamount to saying “be positive”.
No wonder saying: אָמֵן בְּתכוֹרָ (one hundred Brachos daily) is: טֵבַמְל גְזֵירוֹת cancels harsh decrees (Chazal) and brings Yeshuos and prevents Tzaros, because you are already close to Hashem; this is all you need, since that’s all Hashem wants from you. So by being positive, you are heading for a beautiful life in Olam HaZeh and Olam HaBah. Similarly, it says: וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּהאֱ˄ 'קֵיכֶם חַיִּים כֻּלְּכֶם הַוֹיּם (ואתחנן ד ד) If you are connected (דָבֵק) to Hashem, then you’re alive!
And the Baal HaTurim says that the letter: 'ק (Kuf) of the word: בֵקִים ְדּ הַ (“those who are connected to Hashem”) is Gematria 100 Brachos. Again, being connected (דָבֵק) to Hashem means recognizing His unbelievable goodness. There is a famous Rashi in Maseches Brachos that says that when you praise and thank Hashem, you become close to Him, and now you are ready to ask Him for your needs.
There are people who are constantly davening all day. But if they are mainly asking Hashem: “Give me this, and give me that” (although this is a plenty-good thing to do) they still aren’t really “close”. The Korbanos that were brought in the Bais Hamikdash are called “Korban” לָמִוֹשןברוֹקָ which means that they make you “close” to Hashem.
When you shecht a Korban, you are saying to yourself that you could have been dead just like the Korban, but instead you are alive. Saying thank-you that you are alive is the greatest closeness to Hashem! And a person should really thank Hashem for every breath of air! (Medrash). Chazal say that since the Churban, the world has lost loads of its goodness and pleasures. Fruits don’t taste as good, etc.
