APPRECIATION; THE VERY FIRST EXPECTATION
Immediately following the seven days of creation the Torah tells us that HaShem did not bring rain to the world. In spite of all the vegetation being created on the third day no plant began its growth until the first rain. That first rain did not occur until after Adam was created on the sixth day. The reason HaShem waited for Man to arrive was because there was nobody who would appreciate the rain. Adam knew that rain was needed and he davened that it should rain. It was only after his prayer and his recognition did HaShem bring rain to the world.
This is the very first expectation HaShem had from Adam; appreciation.
Before any interaction between HaShem and Adam takes place the Torah establishes what the purpose of this world is; that Man should have appreciation to HaShem for all that He does and for all that He gives. Appreciation is the glue that bonds relationships. The deeper the appreciation is, the stronger the bond will be. Every page of our siddur is filled with expressions of our dependence upon His Kindness and of our appreciation for that Kindness.
From time to time we encounter moments when we lose someone or something or are about to lose someone or something. At these moments we suddenly get a surge of appreciation for that gift. If we do not actually lose that gift, we cherish it so much more than we did before. I have a friend who survived cancer and continues a healthy life for many years. Every day he recites Modeh Ani multiple times a day. His appreciation of life has increased many fold.
In light of this great lesson I wish to take the opportunity to express our appreciation to all the partners who make TableTalk a reality.
We are now in our sixth year of production. Everyone who reads the front page and back page knows that the Star-K is our biggest sponsor as well as our other corporate sponsors. Without our weekly sponsorship for the printing it would not be possible. It is to all of these sponsors that I and Reb Yitzi Weiner have much hakaras hatov. I am certain that our readers share that hakaras hatov as well.
On a personal note, my debt of gratitude that goes to Reb Yitzi Weiner who is the master of this publication is great. He runs his own business but always gives priority to TableTalk.
There is however, one partner that perhaps nobody knows of other than Reb Yitzi and I. The cost of printing TableTalk on high gloss paper with outstanding clarity costs about $1.70 at Staples. We could never afford to print it at that cost. Bais Yaakov and their IT staff have been so extremely generous to print every week’s issue at their cost, making it possible for us to print over 800 copies weekly so that our community can have enhanced Shabbos seudos.
In the spirit of appreciation and all of what Yiddishkeit teaches, Reb Yitzi and I wish to express our deepest appreciation to Reb Zalman Nissel, BY’s CEO, his incredible IT staff and the entire Bais Yaakov family for always being there to make TableTalk available for the community.
Have a very wonderful Shabbos and a guten vinter!
Paysach Diskind