<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class="" style="font-family: ArialMT; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Verdana" size="4" class="">Among the sacrifices mentioned in this weeks parsha is the <em class="">korban todah</em>, Thanksgiving Offering. </font></div><div class="" style="font-family: ArialMT; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Verdana" size="4" class="">The Medrash (<em class="">Lev. R., </em>9.7) tells us that in the future all the sacrifices will be nullified, </font></div><div class="" style="font-family: ArialMT; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Verdana" size="4" class=""><font face="ArialMT" class="">except the Thanksgiving Offering.</font></font></div><div class="" style="font-family: ArialMT; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Verdana" size="4" class=""><font face="ArialMT" class=""><br class=""></font></font></div><div class="" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Verdana" size="4" class="" style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font face="ArialMT" class="">Rashi (Leviticus 7:12) states (paraphrased): A man offers a thanksgiving offering (in the Temple) <br class="">when he is saved from potential danger. There are four types: sea travelers, desert travelers, <br class="">those released from prison and a seriously ill patient who has recovered. As the verse says in Psalms (107:21), <br class=""><i class="">"They should give thanks to God for His kindness, and for His wonders to mankind.</i></font></font><font face="ArialMT" size="4" class=""><i class="">”</i></font></div><div class="" style="font-family: ArialMT; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class="" style="font-family: ArialMT; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;" class="">Interestingly and providentially, the mnemonic for this group of four is </span><i class="" style="font-family: Verdana;"><u class=""><strong class="">Ch</strong></u>a<u class=""><strong class="">yy</strong></u>i<u class=""><strong class="">m</strong>,</u></i><u class="" style="font-family: Verdana;"> </u><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;" class=""> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;" class=""> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;" class="">which stands for [</span><i class="" style="font-family: Verdana;"><b class=""><u class="">Ch</u></b>avush</i><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;" class=""> (jail), </span><i class="" style="font-family: Verdana;"><b class=""><u class="">Y</u></b>isurim</i><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;" class=""> (illness), </span><i class="" style="font-family: Verdana;"><b class=""><u class="">Y</u></b>am</i><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;" class=""> (sea), </span><i class="" style="font-family: Verdana;"><b class=""><u class="">M</u></b>idbar </i><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;" class="">(desert)], (Shulchan Aruch 219:1).</span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;" class=""> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;" class="">In our times, we fulfill this concept with the recitation of the blessing, </span><i class="" style="font-family: Verdana;">HaGomel </i><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;" class="">(</span><i class="" style="font-family: Verdana;">"He who grants favors..."</i><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;" class="">).</span></div><div class="" style="font-family: ArialMT; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Verdana" size="4" class=""><font face="ArialMT" class=""><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana;" class="">There is a beautiful insight in the Avudraham on laws and commentary on prayers. </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;" class="">The author was student of Ba'al HaTurim (R. Yaakov ben Asher) and was a rabbi in Seville. </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;" class="">When the hazzan says Modim, the congregation recites the "Modim d'Rabbanan" (The Rabbis' Modim). </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;" class="">Why is that? The Avudraham says that for all blessings in the Sh’moneh Esrei we can have an agent. </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;" class="">For 'Heal Us', for 'Bless Us with a Good Year' and so forth we can have the sheliach tzibbur say the blessing for us. </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;" class="">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". </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;" class="">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. </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;" class="">You must obtain it from the individual wronged. Not even the Almighty can forgive you for wronging a fellow human being).</span></div></font></font></div></body></html>