Complaining vs. Gratitude: A Mindset That Shapes Everything

In this week’s parsha, Bnei Yisrael complain. They remember the “free” fish in Egypt, the cucumbers, leeks, onions, and garlic — and they long for it. Not freedom. Not connection to Hashem. Just food. Just comfort.

They forget the slavery. The pain. The miracles that carried them here in the first place.

Rashi says they were “kemitonenim ra” — as if something was wrong, when really, it was just ingratitude dressed up as suffering. The Midrash says their complaint about the maan wasn’t just a craving. It was a rejection of Hashem’s direct, miraculous care.

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This Isn’t a Food Story — It’s a Faith Story

It’s not a food story. It’s a mindset story. And it’s our story, too.

How often do we look back and think life used to be better… or someone else has it easier?
How often do we forget to thank Hashem for what we have — simply because we’re focused on what we don’t?

Complaining doesn’t just express dissatisfaction.
Chazal say it shows a lack of emunah and bitachon — like we believe Hashem’s plan is flawed.

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Gratitude Opens the Gates

But gratitude is different.
Gratitude opens the gates.

Tehillim says, “Tov lehodot laHashem.”
The Midrash teaches that all good begins with gratitude.
If you want more good in your life, start by noticing what’s already there.

Imagine a father planning a dream trip for his kids — and all they do is complain on the way.
It’s exhausting. Disrespectful. Demoralizing.
Now imagine the same trip… but this time the kids are thanking their father, showing appreciation, lifting each other up.
The whole journey feels different.

That’s how it is with Hashem.

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Gratitude Is Geula

On Pesach, we sing Dayenu. Not because each gift was enough on its own — but to remind ourselves that Hashem’s kindness is endless.
He took us out of Egypt, split the sea, gave us the Torah, brought us to Eretz Yisrael…
And still, we say Dayenu at every step.

It’s a national anthem of gratitude — a declaration that we don’t take any of it for granted.
Gratitude opens our hearts — and makes room for even more blessing.

Because at its core, complaining is a galut mindset.
It focuses on what’s missing, what’s wrong, what we think we deserve.
It keeps us stuck in the past — blind to the blessings right in front of us.

But gratitude?
Gratitude is geula.
It shifts our perspective. It opens our eyes to the good, aligns our hearts with Hashem, and moves us forward.

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Flip the Switch

When we thank Hashem, we’re not just being polite —
we’re choosing to live in connection, in trust, in redemption.

So let’s flip the switch.
Let’s become people who notice more, thank more, and walk step by step toward geula —
one heartfelt “thank You” at a time.