Parasha Thoughts
By Rabbi David Cohen
If he shall offer it for a Thanksgiving offering. (7:12)
One who has survived a life-threatening crisis brings a Korban Todah, Thanksgiving-offering, out of gratitude to Hashem for His beneficence. Regrettably, many of us wait for that crisis to occur before we realize that our obligation to offer gratitude to the Almighty is an ongoing one.
Chazal teach us that the Korban Todah was accompanied by forty loaves of bread, so that the beneficiary would be “encouraged” to invite people, so that he could relate Hashem’s chassodim, kindnesses, to them.
It is interesting to note that the Hodah is not meant to be a private matter. Usually when we are thankful we don’t want to boast about the goodness Hashem has bestowed upon us. However, since the Korban Todah is given after a crisis we were saved from, it is unlikely to create jealousy and will actually help the guests realize the chesed Hashem does for us everyday. May we all merit to see Hashem’s kindness in our day-to-day lives.