Q:
There is a statement quoted in some seforim that even for one gift from Hashem we must serve Him forever. Why is this so?
A:
So we’ll take an example so that it shouldn’t be an abstraction. כל הנשמה תהלל י-ה – Every neshama should praise Hashem (Tehillim 150:6). So the Midrash (Bereishis Rabah 14:9) says that the words neshama here means ‘a breath’: על כל נשימה ונשימה תהלל י-ה – For every breath you have to praise Hashem.
I was once in Slabodka when this was being spoken about and one of the rebbis, zichrono levracha, said, “Think how many breaths we took since we were born; and we have to say Hallel for each one. So you see we are behind in Hallels. We owe yet a lot of Hallels.”
Now, how is this so? Suppose a man needed that one breath and he couldn’t make it. Let’s say, as I illustrated many times here – it’s an experiment anybody can carry out at home. Take a bucket full of water and put your head into it and remain there for about three minutes. And then before you pull your head out think how good it would be just to have one breath. Don’t breathe under the water though. Pull your head out. Ahh! A breath of air! It’s so delicious!
So for every breath that’s it; because each breath is that. It’s only because you have so many breaths they become cheap to you and therefore you begin ignoring that.
And every one of Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s gifts, everything that He gives you is essential to you only you don’t realize it.
Let’s say, suppose you walk out into the street one bright morning and as you are on your way to the subway you discover that one shoelace is broken. Now the shoelace is broken so the shoe starts becoming loose and you have to walk very slowly because if you run across the street you will leave your shoe in the street. So now you are limping and you’re thinking, “Where can I get a shoelace?”
You see big stores but nobody sells shoelaces. Fruit stores, stores that sell radios, videos… “I’d give everything for one shoelace!” It’s because it’s so cheap to us so we don’t realize the blessings of Hashem.
Now everything in the world is like that. It’s because it’s available, that we disregard it. But if we didn’t have it then we would realize how necessary it is for our existence.
And therefore when Hakadosh Baruch Hu gives anything, it’s not just gomel chassodim, that He gives kindness; He’s gomel chassodim tovim – He’s giving good kindliness. It’s only because we are obtuse, we are spoiled because of habit and ingratitude, that we fail to notice them.
And therefore for every benefit a person should feel he is obligated without end.
TAPE # 511 (July 1984)
