<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Rabbi Yehuda {Leonard} Blank MS, BCC
Vice President of Professional Development and External Affairs
Chair of the Chaplaincy Commission
Rabbinical Alliance of America/Igud HaRabbonim
917-446-2126  rablenblank@gmail.com,
May 7, 2026, 20, Iyar, 5786
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Another way of looking at gratitude and bitachon.
==========================================

There is so much to be grateful for. All too often people get bogged down with the challenges in life. We tend to overlook the good things H does for us and all the nice things others do for us every single day – one way or another. We don’t have to look far for examples of being grateful and also having bitachon in H. The story of Rabbi Akiva and his wife Rachel is truly phenomenal. The faith she had in H and in her husband was very special. Because of Rachel’s faith in Rabbi Akiva, he became one of the greatest Rabbis in Jewish history. Her faith in H and her love of the Torah knew no bounds. Her gratitude to H was sincerely special. 

Rabbis, rebbetzins and chaplains very often listen to the many problems a person is experiencing.  Aside from giving chizuk, reviewing each day of how many things to be grateful for and especially being grateful for whatever kindness might have been given to them, can be uplifting and inspiring.  Also encouraging them to have bitachon, trust in H, is also important to be able to realize that H is the One Who runs our world. Ultimately, it is H who makes the final decision. 

Everything is gam zu latova. H runs the world. We should say B H for whatever He does for us even when we don’t know why.

From: Rabbi Efrem Goldberg “Lag B’ Omer & Gratitude” Jewish Vues, April 29-May 5, 2026 , Page 29. “Years ago, someone gave me a Tony Robbins cd to listen to. I was excited to hear what one of the most inspirational people in modern times would have to say and how it could change my life for the better. He started his talk by saying that he has the secret to both happiness and success.  If you follow his advice and begin each and every day of your life exactly as he prescribes, he can all but guarantee you will find yourself both happier, and achieving your goals and dreams.
I was very eager to hear what his secret is. What Tony Robbins said is correct, but for me, and for you and for Jewish 3 -year- olds around the world, it was nothing new. The secret to happiness and to achieving success, he said, is to start every day of your life by expressing gratitude. As soon as you wake up, before doing anything else, say thank you. Be grateful and appreciative for being alive, having a roof over your head, having your health if you are lucky, your family, etc.
He continued that it isn’t enough to think appreciatively, but you need to start your day by verbalizing and actually saying thank you out loud. If you wake up with an attitude of gratitude, the rest of your day is guaranteed to be successful and happy.
What Tony Robbins is teaching in the 21st century, Judaism has taught since its inception thousands of years ago. From an early age, we teach our children to wake up saying Modeh ani lefanecha. I am grateful to you G for the fact that I woke up, that I am alive to see another day, for the wonderful blessings in my life and for my relationship with You. It has been inculcated within us from our youth that we don’t wake up feeling entitled, deserving and demanding. Rather, we wake up with a deep and profound sense of gratitude, appreciation and thanks.
In my experience, Tony Robbins is right. How we start our day has an incredible impact on how the rest of it will go. This week we will celebrate Lag B’ Omer, the 33rd day of the Omer. Each day of the Omer is characterized by another kabbalistic attribute.
Lag B Omer is a day characterized as “thankfulness within thankfulness,” or a day to celebrate gratitude.
The Chasan Sofer, Rav Moshe Sofer says that the miraculous manna that fell from Heaven began to descend on Lag B’ Omer. On the first day, the manna was undoubtedly greeted with great enthusiasm and appreciation, but as time went on and there was an increasing expectation the heavenly bread would descend, it became much easier to take it for granted and to forget to be appreciative for it at all. Therefore Lag B’ Omer is a time that we identify and say thank you for all of the blessings that regularly descend into our lives, but unfortunately, like the manna, that we take for granted.
It is so easy to fall into a sense of entitlement and to forget to be grateful. Why should I thank my children’s teachers? They’re just doing their job. Why should I be so appreciative to the waiter, or the custodian, or the stewardess? Isn’t that what they are supposed to do? When was the last time we said thank you to whomever cleans our dirty laundry? Do we express gratitude regularly to our spouse who shops, cooks dinner, or who worked all day to pay for dinner, or in some cases did both?
As we celebrate Lag B’ Omer, let’s not just say modeh ani in the morning and then quickly transition to feelings of entitlement. Let’s remember to say thank you to the people who do extraordinary things in our lives. But even more importantly, let’s especially express gratitude to the people who do the ordinary things that make our lives so filled with blessing.”

From: Rabbi Eli Mansour, “Lag Baomer: The day of Bitahon”, Jewish Vues, April 29-May 5, 2026, Page 33. “Lag Ba’omer is observed as the “Hilula” of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai, following the view that this marks the day of his passing. Already the Arizal (Rav Yishak Luria, 1534-1572) noted the custom to visit Rabbi Shimon’s grave on Mount Meron in northern Israel on this day.
The concept underlying the observance of a “Hilula” is that we draw from the Kedusha of the Sadik. A “Hilula” offers us the precious opportunity to receive at least some of the spiritual greatness of the giant whose memory and whose soul we seek to connect to and bond with. On Lag Ba’omer, we try to connect to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai in order to absorb some element of his unique, outstanding qualities. It behooves us, then, to learn some of what Rabbi Shimon stands for, the particular Middot that he embodied, so we can gain inspiration and develop these qualities within ourselves.
The Gemara in Masechet Berachot (35b) famously brings Rabbi Shimon’s view that one should devote himself to Torah learning and rely on G to provide his needs. This is in contrast to the opinion of Rabbi Yishmael, that the proper approach is “Hanheg Bahem Middat Derech Eretz”- to live normally, to work for a living, while of course setting aside significant amounts of time for Torah study. The Gemara concludes its discussion noting, “Many acted in accordance with Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai, and did not succeed.” Meaning, for the vast majority of people, Rabbi Shimon’s approach is not appropriate: developing oneself exclusively to Torah, without pursuing a livelihood, requires an exalted level of Bitahon- trust in H- that most people never achieve. Rabbi Shimon’s view is not rejected, but rather applicable only to the spiritual elite, to those select individuals with wholehearted, genuine faith in H’s ability to provide.
It was this quality of Rabbi Shimon that enabled him to live with his son for thirteen years in a cave, without any food or water. As the Gemara famously tells (Shabbat 33b), Rabbi Shimon fled from the Roman authorities with his son, and they hid inside a cave, where they were miraculously sustained by a carob tree and brook of water. This was Rabbi Shimon’s outstanding quality – absolute faith in H’s ability to provide, the keen awareness that our sustenance depends solely on G, and not on our hard work and efforts.
Accordingly, Lag Ba’omer is an occasion for us to draw from Rabbi Shimon’s lofty levels of Bitahon. Of course, as mentioned, Rabbi Shimon’s practical prescription for life is not suitable for the vast majority of us. Nevertheless, we can – and must – strive to heighten our trust in H, our firm belief that H provides us with our needs, irrespective of the work we invest. Although we are to meet our obligation of Hishtadlut by working for a living, we must recognize that the outcome depends solely on G, and that He is always caring for us.
Fascinating enough, this aspect of Lag Ba’omer actually predates Rabbi Shimon, by many generations.
The Hasam Sofer (Rav Moshe Sofer of Pressburg, 1762-1839) writes that it was on Lag Ba’omer when the manna fell for the very first time. Beneh Yisrael left Egypt on the 15th of Nissan, the first day of Pesach, bringing with them a month’s supply of food provisions. These provisions were depleted in the middle of the bili month, Iyar- Lag Ba’omer – G responded to the people’s cries by providing them with manna. Quite appropriately, then, Lag Ba’omer is also the day when we remember, honor, and connect with the figure of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai, the bastion of Bitahon, who lived with keen awareness of how our food is “manna,” that it is H who gives us everything we need.
So much of the anxiety and stress that people live with can be alleviated through Bitahon, by firmly believing in H’s infinite capabilities to provide us, and in His boundless love for us. People worry and fret over their finances because they wrongly assume that they know what needs to happen for their parnasa to arrive. They think that their Parnasa depends on this job, on that client, that customer, that deal, or that promotion. Once we realize that everything, we have is manna, coming to us directly from H, we would no longer worry about any of this. Certainly, we must live responsibly and do our Hishtadlut as required. But once we do, we can put all our worries and concerns to rest, because H is caring for us, often in ways that we never imagined and could never have imagined. His abilities are unlimited, so we never have any reason to worry.
Let us take advantage of Lag Ba’omer, this special day of Bitahon, to draw from the great faith of Rabbi Shimon, so we can live with the peace of mind and serenity that we desire.”

May Klal Yisrael be zoche to have love, understanding, faith, gratitude and bitachon in  H. 

Sincerely, Rabbi Yehuda Blank