Attitude of Gratitude
Parshat Ki Tavo
Judaism places great value on the little things. For example, how should we begin our day?According to Jewish tradition as we open our eyes each morning, the first words that should be said are;
מודה אני לפניך מלך חי וקיים שהחזרת בי נשמתי בחמלה. רבה אמונתך - I thank you, living and enduring king, for You have graciously returned my soul within me. Great is your faithfulness.This short and meaningful twelve-word prayer focuses on the attribute of being thankful and grateful for everything we have, including something so basic as our lives. We thank Hashem that we are alive and pledge to make a difference in the world.
In this week's Torah portion of Ki Tavo we read about the beautiful Mitzvah of Bikkurim-the First Fruits. The Torah commands us that when we will enter Eretz Yisrael (Israel) and finally be the proud owners of our own lands, we should bring our First Fruits as an offering of thanks to G-d. This Mitzvah teaches the importance of being grateful and making sure to verbalize our gratitude.
But there is another lesson to be derived from Bikkurim. As we begin our day, we also set aside some time to communicate and connect to G-d. These are the moments of Teffilah (prayer) and Limud Ha'Torah (study of Torah). We dedicate the "first moments" of our day, to a holy and noble cause, in order to start our day off on the proper footing.
One of the most beautiful aspects of a Jewish Day School, and Jewish life in general, is the morning rituals of Teffilah/Davening and Torah Study. The prayers, songs and tunes that children learn in their elementary years remain with them throughout their lives. But more importantly, is the message transmitted, that as we start our day, we should make the time to express our gratitude to Hashem for all His wonderful blessings and gifts, every single day.
Shabbat Shalom
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