Watering the Garden of Gratitude

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The Bracha of Gratitude

A person should always focus on gratitude. When we focus on all of the kindness that Hashem does for use open up new channels of Bracha. We gain the ability to see that life is not about me, and to develop humility.  The middah of humility is one of the best ways to acquire Torah.

from a Shiur on Naaleh:

Parshat Bo: Midnight Mindfulness  Teacher: Mrs. Shira Smiles

What does our Yetzer Hara sound like?

You can tell the voice of the Yetzer Hara by what it says.  The voice of the Yetzer Hara says, "I have so little, I want so much"  We can fight the Yetzer Hara by repeating to ourselves, "I have so much".

Shelanu: Escaping the Prison of Thoughts # HT 678

by Heller, Rebbitzen Tziporah

Another reason to work on our grateful list.

Working on Gratitude.

Gratitude takes us to a higher place of connection to Hashem then anything else.

from a shiur on Naaleh: Suffering

Teacher: Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller Class: Bitachon: Meaning of Trust

Gratitude brings us to Teshuvah

The more that we thank Hashem and see the greatness of his presence, the more that we live on Hashems terms and not our own. When we face the true reality of the world and accept it as it is, we gain the ability to grow. Gratitude brings us to Teshuvah more then anything else. The more we see all of the good things that Hashem does for us the more that we will want to return to Hashem.

from a Shiur by Rebbetzin Heller about the Deeper Meaning of Chanukah on Aish.com

More from Rabbi Leib Kelemen on Sukkas

There are some people who make lists of their accomplishments and take them into the Sukkah to read there.  This helps then to see the spiritual acquisitions that they made in the past year which brings them to a state of Simcha.  (See previous post)

from the Shiur:

Sukkos: The Secret of Happiness # KL 546

by Kelemen, Rabbi Leib

When I heard this it made me think of the gratitude list that everyone in my fellowship of OA writes every night.  Sometimes when I need chizuk, I read my old journals.  Now I know that I should take them into the Sukkah to read.

Appreciating Hashem's World

I was listening to a Shiur by Rabbi Wachsman and the Rav told a story about a gadol who woke up his family early and told them to put on their Shabbos clothes. He wanted them to go see the sunrise to remember what an amazing world Hashem created.
Sometimes we need reminders.

A powerful tool for developing simcha

Saying a Bracha with Kavanah is a powerful tool for developing simcha.  The key to happiness is being happy with what we have.  Many people translate "Samaech B'heilko" as being satisfied with what we have, but that is not the correct translation.  The correct translation is Happy with what we have. If we want to be "rich" we have to be happy with what we have, and the key to that is gratitude.  When we have real kavanah when we say a Bracha we are increasing our gratitude and building up our Simcha.

from a Shiur by Rabbi Pliskin

A little story of Hashgacha Pratis goes with this Devar Torah.  I bought a tape that was supposed to be by Rebbetzin Kalmonovitz, but it was actually a Shiur by Rabbi Pliskin on Simcha.  Hashem really wanted me to hear that tape so he arranged for it to be mislabeled.  I hope that you benefit from it as well.

He who has 100 wants 200.

Rav Gifter asks why is it that Hashem tells us to be happy with the good that  he gives us.  Wouldn't it be a natural reaction to be happy.  The answer is that it is the natural reaction of man to want more.  In order for us to be happy we have to work on being grateful for the good that we are given.  At any given moment we are deciding 4 things: our thoughts, our feelings, our words and our actions.  By focusing on these, we can elevate ourselves and be happy.

We don't just thank Hashem for rain, we have to thank Hashem for every raindrop.

From the Yom Tov of Tu B'av we learn Hakaras Hatov (gratitude).  One of the reasons that Tu B'av is a special day is that the victims of the masacare of Baitar were allowed to be burried on Tu B'av and they had not decayed.  One might say, "that's a blessing, a blessing would have been if they had not been murdered."  Our Rabbis wanted us to know that we do not thank Hashem only for the big things, we have to thank Hashem even for the good in the bad.

from the Shiur on Naaleh: Tu B'Av

Teacher: Mrs. Shira Smiles

 

One of the most powerful tools of OA is our nightly gratitude list.  I am very grateful that my sponsor told me a long time ago that whenever I can one of the items on my gratitude list should be something that is seemingly bad and yet I found a positive aspect of it.

Gratitude for the Torah

Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato says that the history of the Jewish People can be divided into 4 periods:

pregnacy- the time in Mitzrayim when we lived in darkness, we could not see Hashem

birth- coming out of Mizrayim- the Jews were ejected out as if out of a womb

adolecense- the time in the dessert- a time when we learn to appreciate Hashem, adolescnce is the time when Hakaros hatov is very hard for us.

adulthood- began at Har Sinai-when we could begin to transition from learning to appreciate Hashem, to acting maturely and doing Hashem's will

Our job durring Sefiras Haomer is to work on our appreciation and gratitude towards Hashem so that we will be ready for Shavuos, to recieve Hashem's Torah with appreciation for its true worth.

From a Shiur by Rabbi Keleman

Focus on gratitude

Let us thank our G-d, let us thank our Master, let us thank our King, let us thank our Savior... (Ein K'Alokeinu)

When I focus on gratitude, the petty annoyances seem to disappear. No longer do I sulk over things which don't go my way. It is evident that the Al-mighty has showered me with abundant goodness.

When I first began to enumerate my gratitudes, I felt it would be boring and repetitious. However, the more I practice, the more evident it becomes that Hashem is continually watching over me as a Father watches over a beloved child. Every day Hashem is helping me. The cumulative benefit of many small things which go right in my day is easy to overlook. But it is each of these small things which calls for my thanks to the Holy One for His special intervention on my behalf.

We thank You for inspiring us to thank You. (Modim D'Rabbanan).

Building Happiness

From a Shiur by Rebetzin Heller on Teaching Children to be Content

Being Content comes from seeing yourself in the moment. No one feels content without gratitude. Gratitude brings out Simchas Hachayim. By praising simple odinary things your are building up gratitiude and this builds up Simchas Hachayim. Seeing the good that Hashem gives us is the core of Simcha.

Grateful for my "Gratefull list"

From Lazer Beams
http://lazerbrody.typepad.com/

For the people of Israel, miracles are the way of nature, for the people of Israel are above nature." Rebbe Nachman of Breslev

Don't be upset with the nations of the world because they don't understand us; they're not capable of understanding us.

My beloved teacher and spiritual guide Rabbi Shalom Arush says that if you haven't yet seen a miracle today, it's because you haven't said thank-you to Hashem today. So what are you waiting for?

Nishmat Kol Chai

An online session of Hitbodedut (Personal Prayer)

http://lazerbrody.typepad.com/lazer_beams/2009/12/longing-for-hashem.html

This is a song written by Rabbi Brody set to a beautiful walk through the forrest.

Focus on Your Grateful list

From a Shiur by Rabbi Lazer Brody. "Kosher Humor".

One of the most powerful tools of the Yetzer Harah is to mach you focus on the bad instead of the good. Haman is a perfect example. He was not happy with everything that he had because Mordechai would not bow down to him.

That is why it is so impotant to focus on all of the things that we need to thank Hashem for.