The Gemara teaches that Hanukah was established as a time of הלל והודאה – “praise and thanksgiving.” What exactly is the difference between הלל and הודאה? And why is specifically Hanukah a time for both “praise” and “thanksgiving”?
Hanukah celebrates two miracles – the military victory over the Greeks, and the miracle of the oil which lasted for eight days. These two miracles were very different from one another. The miracle of the oil was truly “miraculous,” in the sense that the laws of nature were overturned. The war, however, was not overtly “miraculous.” It was a miracle only for those who look for miracles, who can see Hashem in the natural world. Nothing supernatural happened to allow the Jews to defeat the Greeks, but when we reflect on a small, untrained army defeating the enormous Greek army, we recognize it as a miracle.
הלל refers to praising Hashem for supernatural events. This is why we recite Hallel on Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot – because all these holidays celebrate supernatural miracles. And we recite Hallel on Hanukah, as well, to celebrate the supernatural miracle of the oil.
But Hanukah is also a time of הודאה – thanking Hashem for the “natural” events. We look at the Jews’ victory over the Geeks and we recognize that this, too, was a miracle, even though nothing supernatural occurred.
The word הודאה means not only “thanksgiving,” but also “agreeing.” We are expected to not only thank Hashem, but to AGREE with Hashem, to say to Him, “I fully agree with everything You do, because I trust that everything You do is exactly what I need.” הודאה means recognizing that Hashem never makes a mistake, that everything He does is PRECISELY what is supposed to happen.
Maybe this is why Hashem gives us moments when we feel jealous, when we think our lives are fine until we hear of somebody who has something we don’t. It could be somebody whose friend’s children are getting married easily, while he or she has a couple of older singles. It could be somebody whose friend or sibling suddenly makes a huge deal or lands a great job and is making a fortune of money. It could be somebody whose friend’s kids all excel in school while his or her kids struggle. We all have times when we hear of somebody else’s success or good fortune and it makes us feel jealous and uncomfortable.
Hashem WANTS us to have those moments – because they force us to “agree” with Him, to place our trust in Him, to say, “I don’t understand, but I trust that I have what I’m supposed to have.” This is what הודאה really means.
A man once came to one of the Hassidic Rebbes, the Divreh Hayim, complaining that somebody opened a store right across the street from his store, selling the same merchandise, threatening his livelihood. The man demanded that the Rebbe place a curse upon his competitor. The Rebbe refused.
“You know what?” the Rebbe said. “You’re just like a horse!”
He explained that when a horse leans down to drink water, it first stamps on the ground. The reason is because it sees its reflection in the water, and thinks there’s another horse trying to drink its water. And so it stamps its feet to push the other horse back. Eventually, the kicking pushes enough dirt into the water to obscure the reflection, and then the horse drinks.
When we feel jealous of, or threatened by, another person’s success, we are like a horse. We think that this person is trying to take away our water, when in truth, Hashem always gives each and every person exactly what he is supposed to have.
The Rebbe said, “We are going to drink the same water no matter what. But we decide whether it will be clean and tasty, or whether it will be muddy and dirty.”
Hashem is always going to give us precisely what we are supposed to have. If we “agree” with Him, firmly placing our trust in Him, then we will enjoy everything we have. If not, if we allow other people’s good fortune to upset us, then our gifts will be “muddy” and not enjoyable. The choice is entirely up to us.