Another prayer from our teacher, the esteemed tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, and holy words on the virtue of gratitude and the great importance of this trait, from the book Thank You and Gratitude.

When Was Gehinnom Created?

Seven things were created before the world was created, and they are: Torah, teshuvah (repentance), Gan Eden, Gehinnom, the Throne of Glory, the Holy Temple, and the spirit of Mashiach.

When was Gehinnom created? Once it is written that it was created on the eve of Shabbat, once it is written that it was created on the second day, and once it is written that it was created only on the evening after Shabbat following the sin of Adam HaRishon when the hidden light departed.

The Gemara says (Pesachim 54) that the place and the fire of Gehinnom were already created on the eve of Shabbat.

And the Tanna Rabbi Yossi says: The second day of Shabbat has no extinguishing forever, this is a contradiction, because you say that on the second day Gehinnom was created, and until now this fire has never been extinguished.

We Do Not Want to Be Below

On the second day, the division occurred, Hashem separated between the lower waters and the upper waters, the lower waters were outside and began to cry.

What is this crying?

The initials of "Baruch Kevod Hashem Mimkomo" are "they cried," but they should have rejoiced, not cried. So what if I am lower waters?

And because they cried, from this crying Gehinnom was created.

A person should not cry in any situation, because he is always with Hashem.

Stop lamenting, start giving thanks for what you merit, for every movement you make, for breathing, "Let every neshamah (soul) praise Yah, Hallelujah."

Thank Hashem for every breath you receive for free, everything is a free gift.

I and not an angel, I and not a seraph, I am Hashem, I am He and no other, a person is with Hashem.

(From the book Thank You and Gratitude – A Holy Fiery Discourse)

Prayer to Merit Saying Thank You Forever and to Praise Hashem Until the End of All Generations

Master of the World, Almighty, grant me the merit to say thank you for every single thing, and may my mouth always be filled with songs and praises, thanks and gratitude, and may I always give my soul for saying thank you, and never forget to say thank you forever.

And may I merit to be included in the secret of the upper bride, which is included from all songs and praises, as it is said "Come, you shall see from the top of Amana."

And may I merit to include in my song and praises all the thanks until the end of all generations, especially I will thank You with songs and praises of the holy Shabbat, accompanying the queen, because the entire purpose of Shabbat is solely songs, praises, and thanks, as it is written in Likutei Halachot, (Even HaEzer page 11), that the entire night of Shabbat is only to sing, dance, and praise, and all my days I will spend solely in thanks, songs, and praises.

For it is said regarding Devorah, that through the song all their sins were forgiven, in the secret of "When leaders led in Israel, when the people volunteered," "Riders of white donkeys," that through "I to Hashem, I will sing," all their sins were forgiven, and kedushah (holiness) descended, and songs and praises, even on donkeys.

For song is the aspect of Mashiach, which draws down kedushah even upon the impure body, called the skin of the snake, and even riders of white donkeys merited that all their sins became white as snow, as it is said "If your sins are as scarlet, they shall be white as snow," in the secret of "white donkeys," that through song and gratitude they merited teshuvah from love, and merited that all their sins became white.

As the daughters of Israel merit during the time of the Holy Temple, on every Yom Kippur to dance all Yom Kippur, from morning until evening, and to whirl in white garments as new, which they receive on loan, and through this the fall of all the sitra achra, as it is said "The thousand is for you, Shlomo," the secret of the downfall of the shells of Sihon and Og, which are in gematria a thousand, Sihon King of the Amorites = 566 Og King of Bashan = 434 = 1000, and through this that we always thank Hashem day and night = 177 without a pause of a second and moment, we will merit to enter with our bodies into the upper Gan Eden, the place of the quarry of all the neshamot.