Recognizing Gifts

Recently, I had the opportunity to partake in the ברית of my friend's son. Every ברית is a special occasion and affords its participants with the opportunity to learn and grow. However, this ברית was particularly special and afforded me new insight into the concept of הכרת הטוב.

The baby boy was born perfectly healthy seven weeks earlier, a first child to a young kollel couple. However, within a day of being born, he developed a particularly aggressive form of bacterial meningitis, and the doctors gave up all hope. Hashem, רופא כל בשר, had other plans; after seven tear-stained weeks of תפלה, my friend and his wife were זוכה to bring their son לבריתו של אברהם אבינו. However, the infection had taken its toll, and as of yet its long term effects are yet unknown. Little Alter Chanoch Henoch ben Ilana Yocheved needs are תפלות now as much as ever.

The ברית was filled with many inspirational speeches recounting all the ניסים גלוים that made the day possible. However there was one particular line the father was said that nearly brought me to tears, and it is that which prompted me to write this down. He said he has tremendous הכרת הטוב to Hashem that he allowed their child to be born healthy. He is so thankful that for eighteen hours he was able to experience the absolute joy of having a completely healthy firstborn son. That is true הכרת הטוב.

We all have such trouble saying thank you, especially to Hashem. When we say the ברכה of מודים in שמונה עשרה our thoughts are often focused more towards asking Hashem to let the good times continue than truly thanking Him for the good we have already received. We feel entitled to what we have, and although we may recognize it comes from Hashem, we think now that we have it it is ours for keeps. We must realize that every day we receive good from Hashem is a separate, individual and unique ברכה. If רחמנא לצלן we do not receive the same ברכה tomorrow, we must realize that nothing was taken away from us. We were unfortunately, simply not זוכה to receive the ברכה again. That, however, should in no way inhibit us from thanking Hashem for receiving it yesterday.

May we all take this message to heart and truly express our thanks to Hashem properly. In this זכות may Alter Chanoch Henoch ben Ilana Yocheved have a רפואה שלמה.

Lesson from Loss

Baruch Dayan Ha'emes. A little over a week ago I had the tragic experience of attending the funeral of a yeshiva-mate. He was a young budding talmid chochom who passed away at the all too tender age of 21. It is incumbent upon all of us not to let such a tragedy go to waste, but to let it serve as the clarion call, a physical blow to jar us from the drunken stupor of habit, complacency and routine that is our day to day lives.

The eulogists spoke of his tremendous accomplishments, how he overcame obstacles and dedicated his life to the service of God. They noted that for Hashem to take him, he must have completed his mission in this world and accomplished everything that there was for him to accomplish. Listening to those words, I could not help but wonder how I measured up. When people are alive its easy to dismiss their impressive deeds and attributes by noting their flaws. After they pass on, their good deeds somehow stand alone, serving as pointed rebuke for all those who dare to take notice. Yet, at the same time, I took hope. A major obstacle in striving for perfection is despair, the disbelief in the possibility of truly achieving the lofty goals set for us by God and ourselves. But there, right in front of me, was someone who did -- someone just like me, someone I interacted with everyday.

It was sad and tragic. He was motivating and inspiring.