פרשת ויצא
הפעם אודה את ה'… ותקרא שמו יהודה | בראשית כ"ט, ל"ה
This time I will give thanks to Hashem; therefore, she called his name Yehudah
After Leah gave birth to her fourth son, she was overcome with joy and gratitude. In her mind, this was more than she could have ever dreamed of, and she wished to express her appreciation to Hashem. Therefore, she called her child “Yehuda” – which stems from the word "הודאה" (thanks).
The Maharam Shick zt”l provides a deeper insight into her words. In fact, Leah didn’t just say, "הפעם אודה את ה'"– This time I thank Hashem – but rather she asked it in the form of a question: ?הפעם אודה את ה' This time? Only this time, must I thank Hashem? No! I must thank Hashem constantly, consistently, and continuously! I must always remember the chessed that Hashem did for me, He gave me four sons, more than my share! "על כן קרא שמו יהודה"
For this reason, she named him YEHUDA, so that his entire life should be a reminder to thank Hashem for his great kindness.
We are called Yehudim for the very same reason. A Jew must constantly remind himself to thank Hashem for the millions of chasadim that he receives every day.
R’ Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l said that the way to relieve oneself of stress and anxiety is by keeping a little “"פינקס – a small notepad, handy with which to write down every chesed one enjoys throughout the day – even the most minor “kiss” from Hashem! Every time something good happens, write it down and then in "מודים" thank Hashem for this kindness. This will change your life. Not only because you will become happy and grateful but because the more you thank, the more Hashem will shower His kindness upon you!
Living in a generation of “what’s in it for me”, a critical aspect of chinuch is to teach our students to be grateful. First to their parents and teachers, then to their peers and ultimately to Hashem.
About the Author: Rabbi Yisroel Meir Rubinfeld
Rabbi Rubinfeld has been in the field of Torah education for over 3 decades and serves as an Executive School Consultant for Torah Umesorah. He provides an array of services to schools across North America, including teacher and principal mentorship, school and curricula evaluations, professional development and parent education.
Rabbi Rubinfeld's expertise includes classroom management and discipline, effective instruction, bullying, cultivating sensitivity in the classroom, impulse disorders (such as ADHD and ODD), and balancing the educational needs of mainstream and special needs children in the classroom.
Rabbi Rubinfeld is the also the founder and director of Torah Umesorah's Lilmod U'Lilamed department which provides professional development for teachers and principals throughout the year.
Rabbi Rubinfeld is a talmid of the distinguished Yeshivos of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin, the Mirrer Yeshiva in Yerushalayim and Bais Medrash Govoha in Lakewood.
