Part III. Thanksgiving in Shul
The Purpose of Shul
Now, once we peeled back the chitzoniyus of the Mikdash to see the pnimiyus underneath and we realize that it’s primarily a place of יַ ֹ̃ל¡‡ 'הָּך∆„ֹו‡ םָלֹעו¿ל, a place intended to be a catalyst for gratitude to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, so we can understand better now the purpose of coming to the beis haknesses. The beis haknesses after all is a Mikdash Me’at; it’s a symbol of the Beis Hamikdash and therefore when we drill down to the core, the purpose is the same.
And so when you walk into the beis haknesses, the first thing you have to know is, הָ„ֹו ̇¿ּב יוָרָﬠ¿ׁ ּ̆ו‡ֹּב – you’re coming in for the purpose of thanksgiving (Tehillim 100:4). Not merely like some people say pshat, “You should thank Hashem that you’re able to come in” — that’s true also, but that’s not the real pshat. You come in הָ„ֹו ̇¿ּב means you come in for the purpose of giving thanks.
It’s Not What You Imagined
Now, that’s surprising to many people. They think that they come for davening, for minyan, Pesukei D’zimrah, Shemoneh Esrei, Kaddish, Kedusha, Borchu, whatever it is. But actually that’s only the chitzoniyus and when you strip it away — it doesn’t mean you’re not doing all those things; you must! — but when you drill down to the purpose of all those things you understand that you’re coming here to say, I thank You Hashem for this and for that.
‘ה הָּ ַ̇‡¿ךּרוָּב - That’s what the word Baruch means; it comes from the word berech, knee, and so Baruch Atah means “You are the One to Whom our knees are bent in gratitude for everything.” And even though we have to walk around all day, and even in the shul we can’t keep our knees bent all the time but Baruch means that ideologically You are the One to Whom our knees are bent perpetually.
Baruch Chonein hadaas. Baruch Rofei cholei Yisroel. Baruch, baruch, baruch. Every bracha that you make in Shemoneh Esrei is an expression of gratitude for some benefit that you’re getting every day. And even though before we say the bracha we first pray and we ask Hakadosh Baruch Hu, so you might think the beis knesses is a place to pray, for tefillah and asking. It’s true but you have to know the purpose of asking is to make us aware that Hashem is giving to us!
The Bending is the Purpose
That’s a chiddush to some people but that’s what tefillah is for. After all, why do you need to ask? Doesn’t Hashem know what we need? Why do we ask Him? The answer is, we ask Him in order to make ourselves aware that He’s the One Who is the Giver. Otherwise you forget it. And therefore, in every bracha once you have exercised that purpose, once you asked and you clarified for yourself the understanding that it’s from Him — that’s the purpose of the words before the bracha — so now you’re capable of coming to the point, to the whole purpose which is the bracha, the thanking.
You see we don’t call it bakasha, a request; we call it the bracha — bracha means an expression of gratitude. That’s the primary purpose of davening: ָּך∆„ֹו‡ םָלֹעו¿ל יַ ֹ̃ל¡‡ 'ה. And the place set aside for stimulating us to gratitude is the beis haknesses.
Now, if that’s the purpose of the shul so therefore it require hachana; ל≈‡ָר¿ׂ ̆ƒיָיך∆ ֹ̃ל¡‡ ̇‡ַר¿ ̃ƒל ןֹוּכƒה – Prepare yourself to meet Hashem (Amos 4:12). When you go into the beis haknesses, you have to prepare yourself. You have to think back in your regular daily life and in your past life, what is there to thank for? That’s the way to walk into a shul: you’re thinking—“What am I going to thank for when I get to my place?
Pleasure of Locomotion
So the first thing of course is all the things He’s doing for you right now. ר∆בָ‚ י≈„ֲﬠ¿ˆƒמ יןƒכ≈ּמַה 'ה הָּ ַ̇‡¿ךּרוָּב – I was able to get out of bed today and walk. Ah! A pleasure! Just walk on the street, see how many people are sitting in wheelchairs. How many people have walkers, how many people have canes, how many people are lying in bed in the houses and can’t go out at all? It’s a simcha if you’re able to walk. Locomotion is a very big happiness. Baruch Hashem, you have two Rolls Royces underneath you, better than any other wheels – your own feet. It’s a joy, every step. And therefore we say to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, ר∆בָ‚ י≈„ֲﬠ¿ˆƒמ יןƒכ≈ּמַה 'ה הָּ ַ̇‡¿ךּרוָּב – You establish the footsteps of a man. How wonderful it is to be able to walk!
And יםƒר¿וƒע ַח≈ ֹ̃וּפ 'ה הָּ ַ̇‡¿ךּרוָּב – I’m able to see! Ah! Ah! ̇≈מ¿ּכ בּוׁ ָ̆ח ‡ָמּסו – You lose so much of life when chas v’shalom you cannot see. And your eyes are such wonderful cameras. All the scientists admit there’s no camera in the world that can compare to the eye. It’s so efficient. It functions automatically; it focuses for near objects and in one second you can change focus for a distant object. It changes in the dark to allow more light to come in. When there’s more light, it closes up a little so too much light shouldn’t come in. It’s a wonder of wonders how this camera functions. I thank You that You didn’t make me a gentile. I thank You for my shoes and for my hat. I thank You for this and that.
And that’s also what pesukei d’zimra is for. You’re a little more awake now so you get busy praising and thanking. That’s why you have to make a noise when you daven Pesukei D’zimra. If the shul is full of people and it's quiet, it's like a cemetery, that's not the tzurah of a shul. The tzurah of a Jewish shul is when there's noise. What kind of a noise? They're shouting to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Hodu! Ashrei! Halelukah! For everything You’re doing for me right now.
