[Avodah] Tzav: "As Long As The Soul Is Within Me, I Will Give Thanks Unto Thee, O Lord, My God And God Of My Fathers" Berakhot, 60b

[Cantor Wolberg via Avodah]

Among the sacrifices mentioned in this weeks parsha is the korban todah, Thanksgiving Offering. 
The Medrash (Lev. R., 9.7) tells us that in the future all the sacrifices will be nullified, 
except the Thanksgiving Offering.

Rashi (Leviticus 7:12) states (paraphrased): A man offers a thanksgiving offering (in the Temple) 
when he is saved from potential danger. There are four types: sea travelers, desert travelers, 
those released from prison and a seriously ill patient who has recovered. As the verse says in Psalms (107:21), 
"They should give thanks to God for His kindness, and for His wonders to mankind.”

Interestingly and providentially, the mnemonic for this group of four is Chayyim,                                           																														which stands for [Chavush (jail), Yisurim (illness), Yam (sea), Midbar (desert)], (Shulchan Aruch 219:1). 																															In our times, we fulfill this concept with the recitation of the blessing, HaGomel ("He who grants favors...").

There is a beautiful insight in the Avudraham on laws and commentary on prayers. 																																			The author was student of Ba'al HaTurim (R. Yaakov ben Asher) and was a rabbi in Seville. 																																	When the hazzan says Modim, the congregation recites the "Modim d'Rabbanan" (The Rabbis' Modim). 																															Why is that? The Avudraham says that for all blessings in the Sh’moneh Esrei we can have an agent. 																																For 'Heal Us', for 'Bless Us with a Good Year' and so forth we can have the sheliach tzibbur say the blessing for us. 																														However, there is one thing that no one else can say for us. We must say it for ourselves. That one thing is "Thank You".  																												Hoda'ah has to come from the individual. No one can be our agent to say 'Thank You.' (This is similar to asking for forgiveness. 																											You must obtain it from the individual wronged. Not even the Almighty can forgive you for wronging a fellow human being).
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