It is important to recognize and give thanks to someone, and especially to G-d, for the good that is bestowed upon us. However, the question is, what steps are to be taken?
In this week’s Torah portion, our first patriarch, Avraham, is introduced to us. In this week alone, we see how he gives thanks to G-d three times. None of the three times occurs just after an incident—it is much more than that; it takes us to a higher level, toward a deeper relationship with G-d.
The first step in building our relationship with G-d is to recognize that we want to have a connection. So step one is to make the commitment.
At this point we might not know exactly what that may entail. What are the conditions? We don’t know how to make it happen, and therefore although we want to do what is right, there is a good chance that we will mess up. Once we find that we made a mistake, however, we regret our faults and we rectify it. We straighten out our life and we start to grow spiritually, we mature, and we come closer to G-d. This is step two.
And there is yet a higher level of closeness that is not meant to rectify anything (step three). It is not meant to make up for anything that we may have done wrong—it is giving thanks purely out of love – “just because” – when you just want to come close to G-d.
These three steps are repeated in our own lives in many different ways: in our lives as we grow up and in our relationships with our parents, siblings, spouses, or friends. Sometimes it can take years for us to move from one step to the next and sometimes we can go from one to the next in just a few moments.
The lesson for us is to take note at each of these points in our life, whether we are just starting out in a relationship, or if we messed up, or, even if it safe and secure, to take a moment to reflect and to say thank you.