The Secret to Contentment

In this week’s Parshah the Torah tells us how Avraham Avinu died at a ripe old age, having lived a successful and fulfilling life. The wording of the verse is זקן ושבע – loosely translated as “old and satisfied” (Bereishit 25:8). The Ramban explains that Avraham Avinu lived an incredible life and the verse is praising him by showing that he was truly שמח בחלקו – he appreciated all that he had.

The question is, wouldn’t anyone who had achieved as much affluence and fame as Avraham also have been satisfied? Avraham Avinu had everything one could wish for – he had wealth, he had a special wife, he had a close connection with Hashem, and he was blessed with great future generations. With all of this, why would Avraham not have been happy with his lot?

The Sefer Chidushei ha’Lev answers that many blessings do not necessarily lead to gratitude. In fact, many of us have everything that we need, yet we still want more. Despite the fact that we have so much to be thankful for, we neither recognize nor appreciate what we have.

Rabbi Avigdor Miller zt”l was known to appreciate so much of life, even the small things that most of us don’t even notice. One of his grandchildren once came to his home and saw a very unusual sight. He saw his zayde leaning over the counter, with his head immersed in a sink full of water. The grandchild was worried, and so he caught the attention of his grandfather and expressed his concern. Rav Miller pulled his head out of the water and smiled. “My dear grandchild,” he explained softly, “I wasn’t sure if I truly appreciate each breath that I am blessed to breathe at every moment, so I decided to put my head in the water for a few moments so that when I take it out I will appreciate the fact that I can breathe.”

Noticing the small things in life and the fine details is what enriches our lives so much. The Ramban explains that while Avraham Avinu was blessed with everything anyone could want, he also appreciated what he had. He understood that it was given to him by Hashem to be used for the good and he thanked Hashem accordingly for the opportunity to enjoy all the bounty that he had received. When we live with appreciation, we indeed live a satisfied and fulfilling life as Avraham Avinu did.