Thank Him in a Large Congregation!
For November 30, 2022
Tehillim - Psalms 35:18
א֭וֹדְךָ בְּקָהָ֣ל רָ֑ב בְּעַ֖ם עָצ֣וּם אֲהַלְלֶֽךָּ׃
"I will then thank You in a large congregation: I will praise You and publicize Your miracles amidst many people gathered together."
“In every generation and on every day, you must see yourself as though you left Egypt that day.” (Tanya ch. 47, expanding upon the Mishnah)
One of the things taught to the Jewish people through this text is that they must not forget that they were pulled out of Egypt through miracles.
From this, we can learn that miracles are still happening today. But you have to be able to see them.
When we think of miracles, we often think of extraordinary, beyond the laws of logic and natural laws, miracles. Miracles like water becoming blood, hailstones composed of water and fire, seas becoming walkable, etc. And really, such miracles still do happen in personal human lives. However instead of people - in general - giving glory, honour and thanks to God, they call it coincidence or good luck. Whenever a miracle happens to us, it is important to make it public. Tell those around you, put it on "facebook" (it is also used usefully), let it be heard on the radio. Either way, be creative and give God the honour and thanks He is due.
For such great miracles we have experienced in our lives, may we can say the following:
After a miracle has occurred for a person, and he returns to this place after a month or more, he can recite the following:
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who performed a miracle for me in this place.
When miracles have also been done for you in other places, you can also include them in your blessing by saying:
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who did a miracle for me in this place, and in the place of [... and in ...].
Besides these extraordinary miracles, there are miracles that are much greater. Miracles that happen around us every day, every second. However, we have become so used to them that we no longer see them. Because say yourself what is a greater miracle, that a walkway comes through the sea, or that the sea is there at all. That the sun doesn't turn for a while and time stands still, or that there is a sun and time at all? And take a good look at your own body. Only when we experience a defect in our body, only then do we realise how great a miracle it is that we have a body at all that is so perfectly put together and functions so perfectly. These are the miracles that surround us every day and the miracles we can say "thank you" for every day.
How wonderful it is if we point out these miracles to people around us more often, so that people no longer take them for granted, but see the true miracle of the "ordinary".
Brought By Angelique Sijbolts
Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners and intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano.
Sources
Chabadapp: chumash with Rashi
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