Gratitude

Today's podcast is an emotional first-aid treatment. People have a terrible tendency people to blame themselves for things that go wrong in life. Taking responsibility for our actions is productive. Self-blame is not. Here's how to avoid it.

To maintain our emotional and spiritual health, we must look for opportunities to practice daily soul-searching and self-assessment. That way, we open a window to our souls. Let's look inside and ask ourselves why we're not happy...

Psalm 107 is the psalm of thanksgiving, especially obligating a person who survives a dangerous situation. The psalm mentions four cycles of peril and deliverance. These constitute the four groups who are particularly required to thank Hashem for rescuing them.

Imagine that a rich man is cruising on his yacht. He's a billionaire with every amenity in life. Yet, he's always complaining. That's the "whine-o", addicted to whining and the biggest ingrate imaginable. On a national level, such behavior is catastrophic…

Despite the repeated times when the nation strayed from faith and became entangled in worldly lust, the Almighty shows endless mercy and compassion. All we have to do is to remember His wondrous acts.

Imagine that a stranger knocks on your front door. You look through the peephole to see who it is, and before you know – without your permission – he walks right through the door as if it were thin air. Right away you understand that this is no human. It's an angel. He identifies himself: the head debt-collection angel from the Heavenly bank and he looks serious. Here's how to avoid situations like this... 

Imagine that a stranger knocks on your front door. You look through the peephole to see who it is, and before you know – without your permission – he walks right through the door as if it were thin air. Right away you understand that this is no human. It's an angel. He identifies himself: the head debt-collection angel from the Heavenly bank and he looks serious. Here's how to avoid situations like this... 

Gratitude is one of the most vital - if not the most vital - character trait a person could have. It's the key to happiness and to faith. So much so, that the Almighty personally taught Moses how very profound gratitude is. We see this lesson in this week's Torah portion, Va'era.

Expressing gratitude reveals the light of truth, for gratitude is truth. Going a step further, Rebbe Nachman teaches us that truth perfects our speech. In that respect, gratitude leads to perfect speech.

We all know that when a person encounters danger, his or her heart pounds. One can easily identify physical parameters of the cardiovascular system, such as pulse and blood pressure. But spiritually, what's going on inside the heart and the blood stream? Rebbe Nachman explains…

Rebbe Nachman teaches that a people are capable of uplifting themselves from the pits of depression with no outside help. What's more, they can even taste paradise. We learn today how to bask in the light of the World to Come already in this world. This is a level of happiness that no one can attain by material means. It's attainable too.

Chanukah is a time of gratitude. It's also one of the best opportunities for soul-searching and self-assessment. Sitting by the flickering candles of holiness, we open a window to our souls. Let's look inside and ask ourselves why we're not happy...