(ל) וַיָּבֹא֙ גַּ֣ם אֶל־רָחֵ֔ל וַיֶּאֱהַ֥ב גַּֽם־אֶת־רָחֵ֖ל מִלֵּאָ֑ה וַיַּעֲבֹ֣ד עִמּ֔וֹ ע֖וֹד שֶֽׁבַע־שָׁנִ֥ים אֲחֵרֽוֹת׃ (לא) וַיַּ֤רְא ה׳ כִּֽי־שְׂנוּאָ֣ה לֵאָ֔ה וַיִּפְתַּ֖ח אֶת־רַחְמָ֑הּ וְרָחֵ֖ל עֲקָרָֽה׃ (לב) וַתַּ֤הַר לֵאָה֙ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ רְאוּבֵ֑ן כִּ֣י אָֽמְרָ֗ה כִּֽי־רָאָ֤ה ה׳ בְּעׇנְיִ֔י כִּ֥י עַתָּ֖ה יֶאֱהָבַ֥נִי אִישִֽׁי׃ (לג) וַתַּ֣הַר עוֹד֮ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּן֒ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֤ע ה׳ כִּֽי־שְׂנוּאָ֣ה אָנֹ֔כִי וַיִּתֶּן־לִ֖י גַּם־אֶת־זֶ֑ה וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ שִׁמְעֽוֹן׃ (לד) וַתַּ֣הַר עוֹד֮ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּן֒ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר עַתָּ֤ה הַפַּ֙עַם֙ יִלָּוֶ֤ה אִישִׁי֙ אֵלַ֔י כִּֽי־יָלַ֥דְתִּי ל֖וֹ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה בָנִ֑ים עַל־כֵּ֥ן קָרָֽא־שְׁמ֖וֹ לֵוִֽי׃ (לה) וַתַּ֨הַר ע֜וֹד וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֗ן וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַפַּ֙עַם֙ אוֹדֶ֣ה אֶת־ה׳ עַל־כֵּ֛ן קָרְאָ֥ה שְׁמ֖וֹ יְהוּדָ֑ה וַֽתַּעֲמֹ֖ד מִלֶּֽדֶת׃
(30) And Jacob cohabited with Rachel also; indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served him another seven years. (31)Seeing that Leah was unloved, ה׳ opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. (32) Leah conceived and bore a son, and named him Reuben; for she declared, “It means: Adonai has seen my affliction’; it also means: ‘Now my husband will love me.’” (33) She conceived again and bore a son, and declared, “This is because ה׳ heard that I was unloved and has given me this one also”; so she named him Simeon. (34) Again she conceived and bore a son and declared, “This time my husband will become attached to me, for I have borne him three sons.” Therefore he was named Levi. (35) She conceived again and bore a son, and declared, “This time I will praise ה׳.” Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.
וְאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי: מִיּוֹם שֶׁבָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת עוֹלָמוֹ לֹא הָיָה אָדָם שֶׁהוֹדָה לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, עַד שֶׁבָּאתָה לֵאָה וְהוֹדַתּוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״הַפַּעַם אוֹדֶה אֶת ה׳״.
And Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: From the day the Holy One, Blessed be He, created the world, no one thanked the Holy One, Blessed be He, until Leah came and thanked Him, as it is stated: “And she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and she said, ‘This time I will give thanks to God,’ and thus he was called Judah” (Genesis 29:35).
וְאִתְעַבָּרַת תּוּב וִילֵידַת בַּר וַאֲמָרַת הָדָא זִמְנָא אוֹדֵי קֳדָם ה׳ דְמִן בְּרִי דֵין עָתִיד לְמֵיפַּק מַלְכִין וּמִינֵיהּ יִפּוֹק דָוִד מַלְכָּא דְעָתִיד לְאוֹדוּיֵי קֳדָם ה׳ בְּגִין כֵּן קְרָת שְׁמֵיהּ יְהוּדָה וְקָמַת מִלְמֵילַד
And she conceived again, and bare a son, and said, This time will I give praise before the Lord; for from this my son kings shall come forth, and from him shall spring David the king, who shall offer praise before the Lord; therefore she called his name Jehudah. And she ceased to bear.
16th century, Rabbi Chaim Vital
ואחר שנזונו גופך ונפשך על ידי אכילת מזון שזן ומפרנס אותנו ועל ידי התורה, אל תהיה כפוי טובה לגזול את ה׳ ותברך לו ברכת המזון בשמחה יתירה כמי שמקבל מתנה מיד זולתו. וזהו שאומרים בברכת נודה לך, ועל תורתך שלמדתנו ועל אכילת מזון שאתה זן ומפרנס אותנו. ובשכר זה יפתח אוצרו הטוב אליך ותתפרנס מידו הרחבה תמיד:
After you finish your meal and have been physically and spiritually nourished through eating and studying, do not be unappreciative. Bless HaShem-יהו"ה for all the goodness He has sustained you with, by reciting the blessings after meals with great joy, like a person who has just received a precious gift, as we say in the blessing, “for the Torah that you taught us and for the consumption of food that you sustain us with.” In the merit of doing this, HaShem-יהו"ה will open His treasury of goodness to you and will sustain you always.
18th century, Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Kaidanover
וְכֹה יַעֲשֶׂה הָאָדָם, כִּי אֵין לְךָ אָדָם, שֶׁלֹּא נַעֲשָׂה לוֹ נֵס, בִּפְרָט בַּזְּמַנִּים אֲשֶׁר הַצָּרוֹת מִתְגַּבְּרִים, וַתִּקְרֶאנָה מִלְחָמוֹת עֲצוּמוֹת, חֶרֶב וְרָעָב, מָצוֹר וּמָצוֹק, חֳלָאִים רַבִּים, וּמִי אֲשֶׁר הֵאִיר עָלָיו הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חוּט שֶׁל חֶסֶד, וְהִצִּילוֹ מִכָּל הַפְּגָעִים הַנִּזְכָּרִים לְעֵיל, יִהְיֶה לוֹ לְזִכָּרוֹן תָּמִיד חַסְדֵי ה׳, וְלֹא לִהְיוֹת מִכְּפוּיֵי טוֹבָה. וְלֹא זוֹ בִּלְבַד, אֶלָּא כָּל מִי אֲשֶׁר מַשְׁפִּיעַ עָלָיו שֶׁפַע שֶׁל בְּרָכָה, שֶׁזָּכָה לֵישֵׁב בְּבֵיתוֹ בְּהַשְׁקֵט וּבְבֶטַח, וּפַרְנָסָתוֹ הִיא סְדוּרָה, שֶׁצָרִיךְ לִתֵּן שֶׁבַח וְהוֹדָיָה לַמָּקוֹם עַל זֹאת.
Thus should every person do. For there is no one for whom miracles have not been performed, especially in these generations in which our troubles increase daily — horrendous wars, the sword, famine, siege, hardship and terrible illnesses. Whenever the Holy One Blessed is He shines a thread of lovingkindness upon someone and saves him from these afflictions, that individual must recall Hashem’s kindnesses forever lest he be guilty of ingratitude. Moreover, whenever the Holy One Blessed is He bestows upon someone an outpouring of blessing enabling him to sit at home in peace and tranquility enjoying a reliable income, he must give praise and thanks to the Omnipresent.
Dr. Erica Brown (Vice Provost for Values and Leadership at Yeshiva University)
A thank you is most impactful when it identifies aspects of the recipient’s help or participation that are not obvious. Appreciation affects us most when we expect it least. In classes on the subject, I often ask students to write a thank you note to someone who is not expecting it, and offer time in class to write and read the notes, if participants want to share. One woman wrote a thank you note for someone who helped her cope with a difficult illness; she began to cry as she read what she wrote. Through tears, she said it made her feel good to write it. The note was not only for the recipient. It was also for the giver. She needed to feel the bounty of life, not despite her health struggle, but because of it. She needed to see beyond tragedy to a world of affirming kindnesses. Dayenu.
Good things, says Moses to the next generation, will happen to you. Everything, however, will depend on how you respond. Either you will eat and be satisfied and bless God, remembering that all things come from Him – or you will eat and be satisfied and forget to whom you owe all this. You will think it comes entirely from your own efforts: “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” Although this may seem a small difference, it will, says Moses, make all the difference. On this alone will turn your future as a nation in its own land.