Hallel–Thank You Hashem
6 years ago hkaplun 0
Hallel, one of the last steps of the Passover seder, is quite literally “psalms of praise.” It is psalm 113-118, and we say it as part of the seder. The Hallel mentions five topics of redemption: the exodus from Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, the giving of the Torah, the resurrection of the dead, and the birthpangs of the final redemption. We say Hallel to appreciate and thank G-d for all we have. In the last part of Hallel, we thank G-d for all miracles—past, present, and future—that have and will occur.
At the seder, more than any time, we are thankful to Hashem for taking us out of Egypt, and for all he has done since.
However, we don’t just have to be thankful for the events that happened thousands of years ago.
In our lives, we may not have witnessed miracles like the Exodus from Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, or the giving of the Torah. Still, if we take a step back and look at all of the blessings we have in our lives, we can see miracles, even if they seem small. Hallel reminds us to be thankful, happy, and appreciative for everything we have. It is a chance for us to be thankful.
Some things may not appear to be miracles on the surface, but if you dig deeper, you will find small miracles everyday.
Don’t overlook the small things, because you just don’t know how big the miracle is that G-d has given you.
Recently, I went on a regional shabbaton in Washington D.C. A boy who just joined my chapter had never been on a shabbaton and was hesitant to come. He ended up coming on the shabbaton-a shabbaton which would change his life.
When I told him about shabbat, he did not think that he could turn off his phone for 25 hours, and was reluctant to try. After some further convincing, he turned off his phone. The next morning at shul, he had his bar mitzvah. And the next day after finding out he was never given a hebrew name, he decided to have a naming. One small mitzvah led to more. A seemingly simple shabbaton to Washington D.C. inspired him to take on more mitzvahs. At first, this may not seem like anything, but I see this as a modern day miracle.
As Passover comes and goes, we must remember to be thankful everyday, and not just at the seder. We must seek the small miracles in everyday life.
