Q&A: The Mysteries of Gratitude
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
The Mysteries of Gratitude
Question
Why are the prayers written the way they are? What difference does it make if I say, “Thank You, Holy One, blessed be He, that I woke up,” as opposed to the Morning Prayer, for example? If the intention is the same.
Answer
The Men of the Great Assembly established a fixed wording and fixed times in place of personal prayers. I can guess that this is because it is hard for people to think each time about what to say, and they were concerned that otherwise everything would dissolve away.
Why does it have to be fixed? What difference does it make if one day I say to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Thank You that I woke up healthy and whole,” and another time, “Thank You, God, that I got up in the morning”? After all, the intention is the same intention: thanksgiving and gratitude.