(א) מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶֽיךָ מֶֽלֶךְ חַי וְקַיָּם שֶׁהֶחֱזַֽרְתָּ בִּי נִשְׁמָתִי בְּחֶמְלָה, רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶֽךָ:
I am grateful to You, living, enduring Sovereign, for restoring my soul to me in compassion. You are faithful beyond measure
Comment by R. Hammer
I am grateful. To wake in the morning is to be reborn. Nothing is to be taken for granted, certainly not life itself. The first word of prayer, is perhaps the most important מודה, I am thankful. The essence of prayer is the grateful acknowledgment of the gifts we have been given. (Or Hadash)
(ט) מציאות ההודאה והכרת טובה כשתחסר מהמציאות ישאר רוח האדם בלא זיו וזוהר, על כן לא יתכן שתהיה המציאות הכללית חסרה ההשתלמות הזאת, שאינה באה כי אם בהיות רצון חפשי מתעסק בטובת היצור.
(9) Were the existence of gratitude and recognition of the good lacking from existence, the spirit of man would be left without sparkle or shine. Therefore it is impossible for existence not to include this perfection, because it is only manifest when free will is engaged in benefiting the creation.
- What is the nature of gratitude?
- What leads us to show it? What stands in the way?
- What does Rav Kook say is the importance of gratitude?
(א) בֶּן זוֹמָא אוֹמֵר... אֵיזֶהוּ עָשִׁיר, הַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קכח) יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל אַשְׁרֶיךָ וְטוֹב לָךְ. אַשְׁרֶיךָ, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. וְטוֹב לָךְ, לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא.:
...Who is rich? He who rejoices in his lot, as it is said: “You shall enjoy the fruit of your labors, you shall be happy and you shall prosper” (Psalms 128:2) “You shall be happy” in this world, “and you shall prosper” in the world to come.
Why do you think it's so important to always be making blessings?
(ד) כָּל הַנּוֹתֵן צְדָקָה לְעָנִי בְּסֵבֶר פָּנִים רָעוֹת וּפָנָיו כְּבוּשׁוֹת בַּקַּרְקַע אֲפִלּוּ נָתַן לוֹ אֶלֶף זְהוּבִים אִבֵּד זְכוּתוֹ וְהִפְסִידָהּ...
(4) Whenever a person gives charity to a poor person with an unpleasant countenance and with his face buried in the earth, he loses and destroys his merit
Why does this particular mitzvah require a smiling face? Do you have to smile through fasting on Yom Kippur? Must one smile to keep kosher? Why tzedakah?
Story: Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian (1872 - 1970) was once talking to a student after prayers, and at the same time was folding up his tallis [prayer shawl]. The tallis was large and he had to rest it on a bench to fold it. After he had finished the folding, Reb Elyah noticed that the bench was dusty, and so he headed out to fetch a towel to wipe it off. The student to whom he was speaking realized what Reb Elyah was doing and ran to get the towel for him. Reb Elyah held up his hand. "No! No! I must clean it myself, for I must show my gratitude to the bench upon which I folded my talli