05 Dec ‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE THANKFUL: PART 1

At this time of the year,
when walking in the mall
or other shopping areas,
it is common to hear the
jingle, “Tis the season to be
jolly, Tra-la-la la-la, la-la,
la-la.” We are so inundated
by this song that sometimes
it involuntary plays around in our heads. This
happened to me once, and it got me thinking,
“Hmmm, as we approach Chanukah, if we
would sing, “Tis the season to be something,”
how would we fill in the blank? ‘Tis the
season to be to be what?
The answer to our question is clearly stated
in the Gemora in Masechtas Shabbos which
defines the holiday of Chanukah. There, it
states clearly that the holiday of Chanukah was
designated as a time for “Hallel v’Hodo’ah –
Praise and Thanks” to Hashem. As we say
in the Al Hanisim, which is inserted in every
Shemone Esrei and every time we bentch,
“Vikov’u shemonas yemei Chanukah eilu
lehodos u’lihalel l’Shimcha haGodol – And
they fixed these eight days of Chanukah to
thank and to praise Your (Hashem’s) Great
Name.” So, if we would have a jingle, it
would say, “Tis the season to be thankful!”
Someone once asked me when the Jews
celebrate thanksgiving. First, I answered
that we celebrate thanksgiving at least three

times a day. Then, upon refection, I answered
that if there were a Jewish “Thanksgiving,” it
would be Chanukah.
It therefore behooves us, at this time of the
year, to reevaluate how appreciative we are
of Hashem’s blessings to us. After all, our
national name is Yehudim, which means
“People who give thanks.” Indeed, Hashem
expressed outright that the reason why He
created us was in order that we excel at the
talent of thankfulness. Thus the posuk says,
“Am zu yatzarti Li, tehilasi yesapeiru – This
nation I created for Me, to relate My praise.”
This is why every good Jew wakes up in the
morning with the statement Modeh Ani on his
or her lips as the very first daily expression.
Every day of our lives is meant to be thankful
to Hashem in fulfillment of the very reason
for our creation and continued existence.
In the Shemone Esrei, we say the prayer
of Modim bowing down and thanking
Hashem for all the good that He does for us,
“Shebichol eis, erev, vavoker, vetzaharayim
– All the time, whether evening, morning or
afternoon.” Rav Avigdor Miller, Zt”l, Zy”a,
used to recommend that in every Shemone
Esrei one should prepare in their mind at
least one specific item to thank Hashem for.
It doesn’t always need to be grandiose. It
could be that the baby slept through the night,
that it’s a sunny day, that we found a parking

spot, or that the cleaning lady said she was
coming today. We can say Modim for our
health. What about for our car and for our
phone? Most of us would be crippled, so to
speak, if we were missing just one of these.
We could also incorporate into our Modim
prayer that we are able to pay the mortgage
or pay the rent. It is a good idea occasionally
to acknowledge during our Modim that we
have the freedom to practice our religion, that
we have a roof over our heads, that we have
modern plumbing and electricity. Boruch
Hashem, the list is vast and by working on
our Modim, we ensure that we will not take
our many benefits for granted. This will in
turn make us happier people when we realize
how many blessings we really have.
This should be the way we say the great
bracha of Asher Yetzar when we come out
from the lavatory. We should extend our
thanks, at times praising Hashem for the
healthy functioning of our lungs or for the
stability of our hearts. At other times we
should have in mind praises to Hashem for
the effectiveness of our kidneys, our lungs,
our knees, our blood vessels. This bracha
gives us an opportunity to reflect upon
the miracles of our eyes, our ears, and the
complex multiple marvels of our brains.
Yes, for us the message of Chanukah is ‘Tis
the Season to be Thankful!’ May it be time
of training for us that we should continue
throughout the entire year. If we get into
the habit of saying meaningful thanks to
Hashem, we are guaranteed to become
happier people since we will not take for
granted so many of our blessings.
This message of being thankful, when
lived deeply, not only ensures that we
fulfill our purpose in life, and it is not
only a way for us to count our blessings,
it is also a fine reason to pray to Hashem
to continue to give us life. As Dovid
HaMelech says so eloquently in Tehillim,
“Ma betza bidami berid’ti el shachas
– What profit would there be from my
blood if I go down to the pit? Hayodcha
ofor, hayagid amitecha – Would the earth
thank you, would it relate your praise?”
Dovid concludes that we earn the right to
continue to live, “Lema’an yezamercha
chavod vilo yidom, Hashem Elokai
le’olam odeka – In order to sing about
Your glory and not be silent, Hashem my
G-d, I will always thank You.”
There are many ways for the thinking
Torah Jew to express thankfulness on
a regular, ongoing basis. When we are
at the table and getting ready to bentch
with our family, we should point out
occasionally that the most important part
of the meal is the bentching segment. This
is not just from a spiritual standpoint, but
from the standpoint of our physical health
as well, for nothing promotes our life
and well-being as successfully as proper
expressions of appreciation to Hashem.
It takes some getting used to that the main

part of the meal is always at then end when
we take out the bentchers, but bentching is, in
a very real sense, the crowning achievement
of any Jewish meal. Our bentching should
include thanks not just for the tasty food
but also for the Gift of taste.Add to that the
conveniences of silverware, cups and bowl,
disposable tablecloths and the ability to digest
our foods without getting painful gas attacks,
ulcers, constipation and diarrhea.
Our morning blessings should be said with
renewed passion. If one wears glasses, the
blessing Pokei’ach Ivrim should include a
meaningful Thank You to Hashem for lenses
perfectly prescribed to fit the needs of your
vision. Extra thanks should be given for
contact lenses, bifocals, sunglasses and the
like. In the bracha Zokeif Kefufim, thank
Hashem that you don’t have back pain. As
we all know, millions of people suffer from
slipped discs and many have a hard time just
getting out of bed or merely getting in and out
of the car. As winter approaches, when we say
Malbish Arumim, we should thank Hashem
for wool and cashmere, gloves and scarves.
Rav Miller would add that we should be
certain to thank Hashem for the conveniences
of zippers and buttons. In Hanosein L’ayaeif
koach, let’s constantly thank Hashem for
removing yesterday’s fatigue from us, the
feeling that we felt like a washed-out dish
towel. How marvelous, that after a good

nights sleep, we’re ready once again to take-
on life with the vigor and enthusiasm!

The Chanukah message, ‘Tis the Season to
be Thankful!’ should be incorporated into our
daily fiber and should continue throughout
the entire year. Let’s pursue actively the habit
of saying meaningful thanks to Hashem. If
we are able to do this, we are guaranteed to
become happier people since we will not take
for granted so many of our blessings. In the
merit of our renewed praises to Hashem, may
He bless us all with long life, good health,
happiness and everything wonderful.