Never Take for Granted | Rabbi Ari Bensoussan

There was once an old, saintly, holy Rebbe. He had a beautiful community. And one day, they saw that his clothing, you know, it's gotten old. It's getting a little bit tattered. And this is their Rebbe. He can't walk around in old, tattered clothing. So they go and they bought him some new clothing. They bought him a new coat, and they bought him a new pair of pants. When the Rabbi saw this, he was so taken, he was so thankful. But the part that they didn't see was later that night, when the Rabbi had put on his new clothing. He took his old pants, his old pair of pants that had served him well for all those years. He folded them very nicely, and he said to his pants in Yiddish, A groyse groyse dank. Thank you so, so much for all the years that you've been there for me. And he gave them a little kiss, and he put them nicely into the trash because now they were gone. It’s so within our bloodstream. It pumps with our heart to have הכרת הטוב, to have thanks, to always show a thanks to people who have helped us, to always show a thanks to Hashem for giving us so much. That's really what makes us whom we are. R’ Shlomo Zalman Oerbach was asked, Where is the best place in the Shemone Esrei to ask for things? There are those who would have thought he would say in שמע קולנו. But no, he said the best place for asking that is by מודים אנחנו לך. When you’re saying thank you to Hashem for everything that you're giving me, at that moment, where you showing thanks, he says, The world is open to you and you can ask for anything. Rabotai, we are a people of הכרת הטוב. We are a people who show so much thanks. Let's sit for a moment and think. Can you imagine a life without eyesight? Can you imagine groping around in the dark to have to be able to get anywhere or anything? Can you imagine a life without being able to ever see? See, why are we people of הכרת הטוב? Why are we people who show such appreciation? It's because we should never take anything for granted. Can you imagine a life without eyesight? Of course not. So when it comes to the things that we’re meant to control, every single time we're at that moment where we’re being challenged, we're supposed to stop and think. I can't take my eyesight for granted because I'm so thankful for what you've given me. And this tool, this amazing talent, this amazing gift called the Gift of Sight, I only ever want to use it for those things that will propel me towards greatness, and never for things that will take me towards deficiency. Because in the end, I can't ever take for granted this amazing gift that's called Sight. Every single time you control yourself is a time we are saying thank you for what you have given me, and it's a moment in which, according to R’ Shlomo Zalman Oerbach, you can daven for anything in the world because you're saying thank you for the most valuable thing in the world.