Thanking Out of the Box
Even when we do thank Hashem, it is generally according to our narrow worldview. For example, if a person was in need of a few dollars and he received them, he becomes very emotional and he thanks and praises Hashem... and even gives a seudas hoda’ah.
He is correct in this, because he decided that this was his problem, and therefore he davened for the money, and now he was helped. But at the end of the day, this person is living with a very narrow worldview relative to the eternal world. The focus of his tefillah and the object of this thanks remain the small things. He neglects to daven and thank for the important things.
When We Elevate Ourselves, We Find So Much More to Thank for
This person lives and feels only the material matters, those that are designed to help him get through the few years here on earth so he can go on from here to the eternal world, to a world of completeness.
He is so preoccupied with his small world that when something doesn’t work out, he says, “How can I thank the Ribbono shel Olam in my situation?! Do you know what it’s like to have two older children at home?! We did every segulah in the book, and nothing worked. I can’t look my daughter in the face... do you know what kind of nisayon this is?!”
This Yid is correct in that when we’re on This World, it’s a tremendous source of pain. But when we rise a little higher, we recognize that there’s so much to give thanks for—not only because the other children did find their shidduchim, and not necessarily because he has other blessings in his life—he is healthy and he has parnassah.... We’re discussing leaving the confines of the narrow view for a moment, to recognize how fortunate we are that we can carry out the mitzvos of Hashem every day.
The Praise That Evokes the Greatest Divine Will
Begin to thank Hashem that העִמְים מְכלְ בנו בחרֵ אָשרֵ, He has chosen us from all the nations of the world. Begin to give a והודאָה שבח for the real Heavenly kindness—for Torah and mitzvos—and you will see that a true רֵצון עִת will become awakened (as we have noted above, that Yidden awaken auspiciousness through their praise and thanks).
The Ribbono shel Olam loves us with such a deep love that it cannot be expressed by the human pen. There’s no medium that can properly convey this love from Hashem Yisborach to the Jewish People. And because of His love for us, He gave us the zechus to fulfill Torah and mitzvos so we will reap eternal reward. Now, when we praise and thank Hashem for these gifts, we arouse the Divine Will, automatically causing all the small gashmiyus lacks to be filled in—because once the Divine Will is aroused to give good to Yiddishe kinder, it addresses every need, small and large.
When we give thanks for the small, gashmiyus things, it is more difficult to arouse a true eis ratzon; however, when we give thanks for the real and eternal things in our lives, we surely awaken tremendous Divine Will, taking care of all our problems.
We don’t mean, chas v’shalom, to say that one shouldn’t give thanks for the small things in his life. We must simply understand that we must look at the entire picture and realize how much we must thank Hashem for having taken us to Him! For having chosen us and for constantly giving us the greatest and most eternal good that will remain with us forever.
