BS’D
This world is an expression of Hashem’s eternal and unconditional kindness. Hashem bestows amazing gifts to use in our avodat Hashem. He merely wants us to recognize that He is the source of everything.
However, human nature tends toward selfishness and greed. A major source of negative feelings of anger or frustration stem from erroneous feelings of self-entitlement. Rav Dessler ztk’l teaches, “When demand enters, love departs.” We must admit that we are not entitled to anything in life. We are all undeserving of the gifts Hashem constantly bestows on us, starting with our breath! We do not have rights to our health, job, family, talents or life.
Hakarat Hatov means to acknowledge and appreciate the good. This acknowledgement requires us to recognize our dependence on Hashem. Acknowledging Hashem’s eternal kindness and expressing hakarat hatov is fundamental to our happiness because it enables us to appreciate that all we have is a Divine gift. Once we realize this kindness, we can then emulate Hashem in His altruism and give to others.
Hashem deliberately orchestrates situations whereby we need others’ help in order to reduce our geiva (arrogance) and lower our egos. Rav Wolbe ztk’l teaches that someone doing us a favor represents Hashem’s recognition and response to the fact that we could not achieve that particular thing on our own.
Hashem ensures that we receive exactly what we need and what we are entitled to, whether we realize this or not. Instead of feeling deprived if anything we have is taken away, we can switch to feeling grateful for all the Divine gifts we do receive. We can also strive to focus on giving. Giving equates with love, as the hav (הב) aspect of the word ahava indicates. This is a true recipe for contentment.
Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Tamar bat Ayala. May Hashem grant her with a complete healing among all of Klal Yisrael who is sick and suffering b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen
