!Hard times? Thank You Hashem

חַיָּיב אָדָם לְבָרֵךְ עַל הָרָעָה כְּשֵׁם שֶׁמְּבָרֵךְ עַל הַטּוֹבָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכׇל לְבָבְךָ וְגוֹ׳״. ״בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ״ — בִּשְׁנֵי יְצָרֶיךָ, בְּיֵצֶר טוֹב וּבְיֵצֶר הָרָע. ״וּבְכׇל נַפְשְׁךָ״ — אֲפִילּוּ הוּא נוֹטֵל אֶת נַפְשְׁךָ. ״וּבְכׇל מְאֹדֶךָ״ — בְּכָל מָמוֹנְךָ. דָּבָר אַחֵר: ״בְּכָל מְאֹדֶךָ״ — בְּכָל מִדָּה וּמִדָּה שֶׁהוּא מוֹדֵד לְךָ הֱוֵי מוֹדֶה לוֹ.

Berakhot 54a:6

The mishna articulates a general principle: One is obligated to recite a blessing for the bad that befalls him just as he recites a blessing for the good that befalls him, as it is stated: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5). The mishna explains this verse as follows: “With all your heart” means with your two inclinations, with your good inclination and your evil inclination, both of which must be subjugated to the love of God. “With all your soul” means even if God takes your soul. “And with all your might” means with all your money, as money is referred to in the Bible as might. Alternatively, it may be explained that “with all your might” means with every measure that He metes out to you; whether it is good or troublesome, thank Him.

ברכות ס׳ ב:ז׳-י״ב

חַיָּיב אָדָם לְבָרֵךְ כּוּ׳: מַאי ״חַיָּיב לְבָרֵךְ עַל הָרָעָה כְּשֵׁם שֶׁמְּבָרֵךְ עַל הַטּוֹבָה״? אִילֵּימָא כְּשֵׁם שֶׁמְּבָרֵךְ עַל הַטּוֹבָה ״הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב״, כָּךְ מְבָרֵךְ עַל הָרָעָה ״הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב״, וְהָתְנַן עַל בְּשׂוֹרוֹת טוֹבוֹת אוֹמֵר ״הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב״, עַל בְּשׂוֹרוֹת רָעוֹת אוֹמֵר ״בָּרוּךְ … דַּיַּין הָאֱמֶת״! אָמַר רָבָא: לֹא נִצְרְכָה, אֶלָּא לְקַבּוֹלִינְהוּ בְּשִׂמְחָה. אָמַר רַב אַחָא מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי לֵוִי: מַאי קְרָא — ״חֶסֶד וּמִשְׁפָּט אָשִׁירָה לְךָ ה׳ אֲזַמֵּרָה״. אִם חֶסֶד — אָשִׁירָה, וְאִם מִשְׁפָּט — אָשִׁירָה. רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי אָמַר, מֵהָכָא: ״בַּה׳ אֲהַלֵּל דָּבָר בֵּאלֹהִים אֲהַלֵּל דָּבָר״. בַּה׳ אֲהַלֵּל דָּבָר — זוֹ מִדָּה טוֹבָה, בֵּאלֹהִים אֲהַלֵּל דָּבָר — זוֹ מִדַּת פּוּרְעָנוּת. רַבִּי תַּנְחוּם אָמַר: מֵהָכָא: ״כּוֹס יְשׁוּעוֹת אֶשָּׂא וּבְשֵׁם ה׳ אֶקְרָא״, ״צָרָה וְיָגוֹן אֶמְצָא וּבְשֵׁם ה׳ אֶקְרָא״. וְרַבָּנַן אָמְרִי, מֵהָכָא: ״ה׳ נָתָן וַה׳ לָקָח יְהִי שֵׁם ה׳ מְבֹרָךְ״. אָמַר רַב הוּנָא אָמַר רַב מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי מֵאִיר, וְכֵן תָּנָא מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא: לְעוֹלָם יְהֵא אָדָם רָגִיל לוֹמַר: ״כׇּל דְּעָבֵיד רַחֲמָנָא לְטָב עָבֵיד״.

Berakhot 60b:7-12

We learned in the mishna: One is obligated to recite a blessing for the bad that befalls him just as he recites a blessing for the good that befalls him. The Gemara asks: What does it mean: One is obligated to recite a blessing for the bad just as for the good? If we say this means that just as one recites a blessing for a positive event with the formula: Who is good and does good, so too one recites a blessing for a calamity with the formula: Who is good and does good, didn’t we learn in our mishna that over good tidings one recites: Who is good and does good, while over bad tidings one recites: Blessed…the true Judge? Rather, Rava said: The mishna’s statement was only necessary to instruct us to accept bad tidings with the same joy with which we accept good tidings, not to instruct with regard to which blessing to recite. Rav Aḥa said in the name of Rabbi Levi: What is the verse that alludes to this? “I will sing of loving-kindness and justice; unto You, O Lord, will I sing praises” (Psalms 101:1). Rav Aḥa explains: If it is loving-kindness, I will sing, and if it is justice, I will sing. I will thank God in song for the bad just as for the good. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: The proof is from here, as it is stated: “In God, I will praise His word; in the Lord, I will praise His word” (Psalms 56:11). The Gemara explains that In God, I will praise His word; that is the revelation of God’s attribute of benevolence, while: In the Lord, I will praise His word; that is the attribute of suffering; even if God brings suffering to bear upon me, I will still praise Him. Rabbi Tanḥum said: The proof is from here, as it is stated: “I will lift up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord” (Psalms 116:13), and: “I found trouble and sorrow, but I called upon the name of the Lord” (Psalms 116:3–4). And the Rabbis said: The proof is from here, as it is stated: “The Lord has given and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). Rav Huna said that Rav said that Rabbi Meir said; and so it was taught in a baraita in the name of Rabbi Akiva: One must always accustom oneself to say: Everything that God does, He does for the best.

ישעיהו מ״ג:כ״א

(כא) עַם־זוּ֙ יָצַ֣רְתִּי לִ֔י תְּהִלָּתִ֖י יְסַפֵּֽרוּ׃ {ס}

Isaiah 43:21

(21) The people I formed for Myself
That they might declare My praise.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe asked: What's the difference between Emunah and Bitachon?
Emunah is knowing it's all for the best in the big picture.
Bitachon is trusting it's good in this world too.

The Vilna Gaon asks a question on the verse "The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous".
Shouldn't the salvation come before the rejoicing?
When a person gives thanks and praise to Hashem through this itself comes the salvation!

תהילים פ״א:י״א

(יא) אָֽנֹכִ֨י ׀ יְ֘הֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ הַֽ֭מַּעַלְךָ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם הַרְחֶב־פִּ֝֗יךָ וַאֲמַלְאֵֽהוּ׃

Psalms 81:11

(11) I the LORD am your God
who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

https://thankyouhashem.com/tefilah/

Rav Aroush: Thank Hashem for the Good and for the not good!...Because it's all good.
Your Homework: Think about this concept every Modim and thank Hashem for the good and the bad of life.