GEVURAH: KIDDUSH LEVANAH קִדּוּשׁ לְבָנָה

KIDDUSH LEVANAH קִדּוּשׁ לְבָנָה :

– PRAYER OF GRATITUDE ON NEW MOON

26. ONE’S FUTURE DEPENDS AND IS TIED
TO GRATITUDE FOR THE PAST
I heard in 1943
It is written, “The Lord is high and the low will see,” that only
the low can see the greatness. The letters Yakar (Precious) are the
letters Yakir (will know). It means that one knows the greatness
of a thing to the extent that it is precious to one.
One is impressed according to the importance of the thing.
The impression brings one to a sensation in the heart, and
according to the measure of one’s recognition of the importance,
to that extent joy is born in him.
Thus, if one knows one’s lowness, that one is not more
privileged than one’s contemporaries, meaning that one sees
that there are many people in the world who were not given
the strength to work the holy work even in the simplest of ways,
even without the intent and in Lo Lishma (not for Her Name),
even in Lo Lishma of Lo Lishma, and even in preparation for
the preparation of the clothing of Kedusha (Sanctity), while
he was imparted the desire and the thought to nevertheless
occasionally do holy work, even in the simplest possible way,
if one can appreciate the importance of it, according to the
importance that one ascribes to the holy work, to that extent
one should give praise and be grateful for it.
This is so because it is true that we cannot appreciate the
importance of being able to sometimes keep the Mitzvot of the
Creator, even without any intent. In that state one comes to feel
elation and joy of the heart.
The praise and the gratitude that one gives for it expand
the feelings, and one is elated by every single point in the
holy work, and knows who’s worker he is, and thus soars ever
higher. This is the meaning of what is written, “I thank Thee
for the grace that Thou hast made with me,” meaning for the
past, and by this one can confidently say, and he does say, “and
that Thou will do with me.”

-Baal HaSulam, Shamati, page 82-83