Vaeira: A Little Gratitude Goes a Long Way In parshas Va'era (7:19), HaShem tells Moshe to instruct Aharon to take his stick and stretch it over the Nile, which would then turn to blood. Rashi explains that Aharon had to do this instead of Mosha as the Nile saved Moshe many years beforehand, when he was a little child. There is a very important and obvious lesson that we need to learn from here. It had been about eighty years since Moshe Rabbeinu was saved by the Nile which was only water, not even a living being. Still he had to show Hakas hatov – gratitude – and therefore was unable to perform the plague of blood.
We sometimes take things quite differently. We take and we take and we take, and not only do we not express signs of gratitude, but we’ll even be meshalem ra tachas tov – returning a favour by kicking them in the teeth, so to speak, and we’ll find ‘good’ reasoning for our actions. We don’t only find this bein odom l’chaveiro – between man and his fellow – but also or maybe even more so bein odom le’makom – between man and G-d. HaShem gives us everything we need and what do we do? We spit in HaShem’s face and after that we go and ask Him to continue giving us good ‘leshem shamayim’ – ‘in the name of Heaven.’ Of course HaShem gives it to us and what do we do? Not only are we not openly grateful but we continue doing the same things.
We have to work on ourselves to be givers, not takers. We constantly have to acknowledge good, and just give, give and give.
I once heard of a very effective way to be Makir Tov – acknowledge goodness - to HaSHem. Close your eyes and walk around the room for half a minute. When you open your eyes, you’ll realise what a gift HaShem gave us when He gave us the ability to see. Once you realise that, you’ll see how it’s not only sight, but everything in our body that’s working amazingly and we can be Makir Tov to see how kind Hakadosh Baruch Hu really is. This is only being Makir Tov but what we really need is to be Meshalem tov tachat tov – do a favour in return for a favour. We have to stay away from the bad and use everything we have to strive in spirituality and get close to HaShem.
We know that HaShem cares more about our social behaviour more than the mitzvos we do directly towards G-d, as we know that even Yom Kippur doesn’t atone for those mitzvos between man and man, and therefore we have to make sure to be makir tov to people. When someone does us a favour, make sure to thank him, and when he asks you for a favour don’t kick him in the teeth. If Moshe Rabbeinu had to show Hakaret Hatov – gratitude – to the Nile, how much more so do we have to show hakarot hatov to people and to HaShem. The more we give and the more we are Makir Tov, the better the person we will become, the more Torah we will be able to acquire, and we might just travel first class in Olam Habah. Imagine, if you will, that you were to go on a two-year flight. Would you fly economy, business or first class? Obviously first class! Olam HaBah is a longer-than-lifelong flight. The question is what seat are you going to get? Economy, business, or a first class seat, right next to HaShem? |
