Hakadosh Baruch Hu kept Putin busy for four years, leaving him to issue empty threats at us should we do this or that to in his friends. There was a war and Khamenei asked for help; Putin said, “I’m busy, I have my own battlefields to contend with and can’t handle eight.” Hakadosh Baruch Hu arranged this project for four years – look at the genuine chesed and kindness in it! Any earlier, and they’d be dealing with the previous American president who supposedly loved us so much but didn’t allow us to do anything. Instead,
How does this connect to us? What do you take from it? How do you improve? Better Tefillah, more Torah, another page of Gemara, more Mishnayot. What do you improve? You must know the power Hakadosh Baruch Hu gives. The Chatam Sofer writes about a period of war in Pressburg, when the French were attacking the region. He was bunkered down in a fortified place during these exact same days in the month of Sivan. Once the war was over, he emerged from the bunker, saw the vast destruction to his right and left, and recited Birkat Hagomel in plural tense, on behalf of all the community members miraculously saved. Everyone answered Amen in the plural tense – ְמָלָנוּ טוֹבּ מִי שׁ ֶג – and they proceeded to distribute tzedakah to the poor and lomdei Torah.
We must all thank Hakadosh Baruch Hu! And this does not mean giving thanks with a quick gesture and then being done with it, returning to “routine”. Each person should take upon themselves one specific resolution, about exactly what you are taking upon yourself, what you are doing in response. It is written in the Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni 875): הוֹדוּ לַה' כִּי טוֹב כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ - ְ מ ו ְּּ שׁ ַ לּ א ֵ י ן ל ְ י ִ ש ׂ ְ רָ א ֵ ל מִ מּ ָ ה שׁ ֶ יָא הוֹדָיָה בִּלְבַד עַל כָּל טוֹבָה שׁ ֶהוּא עוֹשֶׂה לָהֶם להקב"ה אֶל . Yisrael have nothing to repay Hakadosh Baruch Hu except gratitude alone for all the good He does.
Chazal say, how can you repay Hakadosh Baruch Hu? By giving thanks for all the good He does. Knowing how to give thanks to Hakadosh Baruch Hu – that is our tafkid, our job. And that does not mean to give thanks with a single, quick gesture, and then move on to “routine”. There are those who sang and danced and then returned home. That’s all very nice, but gratitude must come with resolutions. Each person must take something upon themselves. I won’t tell you what, because each person needs to know what they need to strengthen. One in the realm of Tefillah, that their Avodah of Tefillah should look different going forward. Another in learning, to add more each day. “Ribbono Shel Olam, You performed miracles for us, and I now take upon myself this year to finish Shisha Sidrei Mishnah... I take upon myself in the coming year to learn another Massechet... to daven correctly and with more sincerity.” Chazal teach us that four are obligated to give thanks – learn about the Korban Todah and it will be considered as though you brought a Korban Todah!
Don’t just recite Hagomel. It may be that those who live in places where missiles fell, must say the bracha. In Bat Yam, Ramat Gan, and Beer Sheva – Rachmana litzlan. All those places must recite Hagomel, as they need to bring a Korban Todah. But we, dwellers of this land, also saw great miracles, and we must know that a person who knows how to give thanks receives more miracles. We say every day in Modim D’Rabbanan: ְמֵנוֵּּנוּ וּתְ קַיַּמְ תָּנוּ כֵּן תְּ חַיִּיתָנוּ וְקִ יַּמְ תָּנוּ עַל שׁ ֶחִ י – For sustaining and maintaining us, so may You sustain and maintain us. If you know to say thank you, you will merit more.
We are finished with this war, Baruch Hashem, but mired in another. We’ve been mired in that war for almost two years. Rabbotai, we need abundant mercy from heaven. The more we recognize that Hakadosh Baruch Hu performs miracles for us, the more we must declare our gratitude and praise in the morning:
ִָיד בַּבֹּקֶר חַסְדֶּךּ לְהַג .ֶהּ לַעֲ שׂוֹת עִ ם־אֵ ל 'וֹיִם הִגְדִּ יל הּ אָז יֹאמְרוּ בַג – Then it will be said among the nations how Hashem has done greatly with us. All the nations of the world will recognize what miracles Hakadosh Baruch Hu did for Bnei Yisrael. And from this we learn, the more Hakadosh Baruch Hu performs miracles for us, the more He demands from us. We see how much He has mercy on us, and how much He cares for us – now, let us take upon ourselves resolutions in spirituality.
It is Rosh Chodesh today. The month of Tamuz, and תמו"ז stands for בָ אִ ים'מ ַ שׁ ְ מְ שׁ ִ י ם ו ּ 'שׁ ו ּ ב ָ ה מְ 'מַ נּ ֵ י תְּ 'זְ – The times of repentance are approaching. It is a time when each and every one should add something more in their Avodat Hashem, and may we all merit the complete Geula speedily in our days.
