Journaling is on the rise.
Incredibly, studies have shown notable positive benefits resulting from journaling.
“Positive journaling is powerful enough to physically rewire your brain's anatomy, suppress clinical inflammation, and alter your biological response to stress” (google).
Unsurprisingly, the Torah millennia ago, in this week's Parsha, suggests a form of audio journaling. A process of expressing gratitude and thanks when bringing the “first fruits” of the seasonal agricultural crops to the Holy Temple.
The text that was read when bringing the first fruits, begins by tracing back the string of challenges, fortunes and miracles that began hundreds of years earlier. It tracks the multiple twists and turns that needed to occur in order for these simple fruits to come to fruition. The longest thank you if you will — audio journaling at its best!
It’s not hard to recognize that we all have our ample share of twists and turns and of course our “first fruits”. We call them annual accomplishments. We usually attribute them to our brilliance and talent and stop there.
Whilst we generally recognize the blessings of our family we certainly don’t think about the string of challenges and blessings to those who preceded us —beyond a hundred years ago.
The Torah however is teaching us a thing or two about gratitude. It’s not enough to be thankful for the immediate nor does it suffice to think back a few decades. To be truly thankful one has to periodically go back yet further. One needs to incorporate the whole string of obstacles together with the precise and deliberate Divine acts that preceded us. Only then can we fully appreciate our blessings.
Full on “audio journaling”!
The type of audio journaling that maximizes our gratitude and makes us worthy receptacles for yet greater blessings and miracles for a Shana Tova Umetuka — a good and sweet year for all!!
With best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom,