The above image is from pixy.org and is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
What's the story behind your name?
What significance does it - the name itself, the person you're named after, the language play in your life?
What names do you know of for the collective Jewish people, and what do they suggest about the Jewish people's mission or character? (i.e. "Bnei Yisrael" (the children of Israel), "Am Yisrael" (the nation of Israel), "Am Ha-Sefer" (people of the book), "Am Ha-Nifchar" (chosen people)...and what does the original Hebrew for Jews, Yehudim, suggest?
(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' בְּעָנְיִ֔י 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) The LORD saw that Leah was unloved and he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
(32) Leah conceived and bore a son, and named him Reuben (reh-oo-vein); for she declared, “It means: ‘The LORD has seen (rah-ah) my affliction’; it also means: ‘Now my husband will love me (ye-eh-ah-va/vei-knee).’”
(33) She conceived again and bore a son, and declared, “This is because the LORD heard (shama) that I was unloved and has given me this one also”; so she named him Simeon (shimon).
(34) Again she conceived and bore a son and declared, “This time my husband will become attached (yilveh) 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 thank (odeh) the LORD.” Therefore she named him Judah (yehudah). Then she stopped bearing.
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).
What might Leah be grateful for? (What else might modeh mean?)
What can we learn about gratitude from Leah?
What do you think are the values/benefits/functions of gratitude?
What gets in the way of expressing gratitude?
What is the message for us as Yehudim - "the grateful ones"?
How do you cultivate gratitude in your life?
What would make it easier to acknowledge the good things in your life?
"When I was in Senegal last year, a young boy named Mamadou was persistent that I repair my shoe after it tore. I would have discarded these shoes, but Mamadou taught me about the importance of valuing the shoes I own. It is said that the Kotzker Rebbe used to wrap up his worn-out shoes before throwing them away and saying, “How can I simply toss away a pair of shoes that have served me so well over the course of years.” He understood that there was almost a holiness to something so basic that has enabled us to be mobile and fulfill our life missions. As Forrest Gump famously said about his shoes, “They were my magic shoes, they would take me anywhere.” Shoes truly are a magical blessing."
"The Mussar teacher Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian (1872 - 1970) was once talking to a student after prayers, and at the same time was folding up his tallis [prayer shawl]. The tallis was large and he had to rest it on a bench to fold it. After he had finished the folding, Reb Elyah noticed that the bench was dusty, and so he headed out to fetch a towel to wipe it off. The student to whom he was speaking realized what Reb Elyah was doing and ran to get the towel for him. Reb Elyah held up his hand. "No! No! I must clean it myself, for I must show my gratitude to the bench upon which I folded my tallis1.""
תניא היה רבי מאיר אומר חייב אדם לברך מאה ברכות בכל יום שנאמר (דברים י, יב) ועתה ישראל מה ה' אלקיך שואל מעמך
It was taught in a Baraita: Rabbi Meir said: a person must make 100 blessings each day, as it is written... (Deuteronomy 10:12) "And now Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you..."