Q:
We are so busy getting ready for the Pesach Seder. But why don’t we thank Hashem for everything else beside Yetzias Mitzrayim?
A:
The answer is, certainly we do. Don’t we thank Hashem all day long? All day long we’re saying Boruch Atah Hashem for everything. The Jew has to know that he is called a Yehudi – and the word Yehuda means, “The one who thanks Hashem.” You didn’t know that? הודה means to thank – that’s the word הודאה. And Yehuda means “He will thank.” Did you ever think about that? A Yehudi means a man who thanks Hashem. That’s your job in life, that’s a yehudi – and you have to thank all day long.
Now, I know that young people didn’t think about this and they think it’s exaggerated. But if you’ll spend a little time on this subject, you’ll see that that’s the function of a Jew – thanking Hashem.
Not only when you have to make a brocha, but even when there is no form of brocha for it, you have to learn always to vocalize, to say words of gratitude to Hashem. And that’s in addition to thinking constantly in gratitude to Hashem. Always!
Only that Pesach night is a special opportunity to dwell on the episodes that took place in that period in history.
(April 1984)
