Drawing Close to Hashem Through Thanking Him:
The Chidushei Harim zy”a explains the words “And Yehuda approached” by saying that the reason Jews are called Yehudim is because we bear the name of Yehuda. The reason we all bear his name is because this name symbolizes “hodaah”, praise. This alludes to the fact that Jews constantly praise Hashem for everything large and small that He does for us. Even if events seem to be bad, we still thank Hashem for them, because we know that whatever He does is really good.
Accordingly, when the pasuk says that Yehuda approached, it can be read to mean that someone who has the trait of Yehuda, meaning someone who constantly praises Hashem, will merit coming close to Him and having a special relationship with Him.
One Who Thanks Hashem Can Ask For What He Needs:
Sefer Tiferes Shlomo (Parshas Vayeirah) cites the Gemara (Brachos 54A) that says that one should “give thanks for the past and cry for the future.” He explains that if a person wants to ask Hashem to help him in the future, he first must thank Him for His past kindness. This is seen from the pasuk (Tehilim 118:1): “Hodu laHashem ki tov ki l’olam chasdo.” (Praise Hashem, for He is good. For His kindness is forever.) This means that one should first praise and thank Hashem for goodness He has provided in the past and then daven for His kindness to continue forever.
For this reason, we recite in davening on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur: “And for all of this, He is blessed and exalted... and write us for a good life.” We first thank Him for the goodness of the past year and we are then able to daven for a good upcoming year.
Constantly Thanking Him:
In truth, one shouldn’t only thank Hashem before he davens for his needs. Rather, one should praise him constantly and thank Him for every breath one takes. The pasuk states (Bereishis 29:35) that Leah named her son Yehuda because she said: “This time, I will thank (odeh) Hashem.” Sefer Yalkut Hagershoni (Brachos 7A) quotes the Maharam Shick zt”l as explaining that if someone is truly grateful, he won’t merely say thank you one time. Rather, he will express his gratitude constantly. So too, when Leah’s fourth child was born, she asked in wonderment, “Should I (only) thank Hashem this time?” She was stating that this would not suffice. Therefore, she named him “Yehuda”, as a sign of her constant gratitude to Hashem.
Learning Before Davening:
The Sefarim Hakedoshim extoll the great value of learning Torah before davening in the morning. My father, the Kretchnifer Rebbe shlita (quoted in Gilyon Divrei Torah Kretchnif-Yerushalaim) explains that if one first sanctifies and purifies his mouth through Torah study, his tefillos possess much more power and are much more effective.
He adds that “Yehuda” represents Torah study, as Rashi says (Bereishis 46:28) that Yehuda was sent ahead to make a yeshiva in Mitzrayim. Accordingly, the words “vayigash alav Yehuda” can be understood to mean that before someone steps forward to draw close to Hashem through tefillah, he should first connect to the middah of Yehuda, which is to learn Torah. Once one does this, he can say: “Bi Adoni” (please my Master). After learning Torah, one can daven and make requests of Hashem.
