“this time I will thank Hashem and therefore he was named Yehudah” Bereshis 29:25

Rabbi Shafier tells the following story. A man in his late twenties started having eye problems and eventually became blind. After ten years of being blind he met with a doctor who told him about a new surgery which possibly could return his eyesight. After discussing with his wife, the man decided to have the surgery.

After the procedure was completed, his eyes were bandaged for three days. Finally, the nurse said it was time to remove the bandages and the man’s family gathered around him. One bandage was removed. The second bandage was removed. The nurse told the man to open his eyes. For the first time in 10 years he could see! He saw his wife again. He saw his young children for the first time ever. He could see the trees and the sky. He was overjoyed. The doctor came to his room later that day and the man could not stop thanking him.

Every morning when we open our eyes, we should have the same feelings of thankfulness as this blind man had when he regained his sight. When we say our morning blessings we thank Hashem for sight, our ability to walk, our shoes, and everything else Hashem has given us, we should have an overflow of emotions! We should be so grateful for all of these things. Imagine how difficult life would be if Hashem did not give them to us.

This is the message from this week’s parsha; this is why Leah called her fourth son Yehudah. We need to be thankful for everything we have.

A young man was blessed with a child within the first year after his marriage. The custom is to have a kiddush when a baby girl is born, but this man wondered if he really needed to have a kiddush. Since he had the baby immediately, was there a reason he needed to be so thankful. He asked his Rosh Yeshiva for his opinion. The Rosh Yeshiva asked this new father, “If it took you and your wife 10 years to have your first child, would you have a kiddush?” The man answered he definitely would as that is a very joyous moment. The Rosh Yeshiva then responded that the man should be thankful Hashem gave him a baby without making him wait ten years. He was given a blessing of a child immediately without suffering. That is something a person should be thankful for.

This past Tuesday, I was in an unfamiliar part of Miami and needed to cross the street. I thought the street was one-way and started crossing in front of a stopped car. As I was jogging in front of the stopped car, from the other direction came a car going at least 30 mph. It was only a few feet in front of me. I quickly jumped back.

Imagine if I stepped off the curb one second earlier – I would have been hit by that car! I would have been rushed to the hospital. Who knows if I would have survived?

Although we do not have many close calls like that one every day, we do go through many events that if the slightest thing was different, we would end up in a hospital. We should be thankful for everything we have every moment of the day.

Good Shabbos!
-yes
please send any comments or questions to: [email protected]
to see previous Divrei Simcha on the Parsha, please go to www.divreisimcha.com OR www.chesedclub.com > Torah Study