HEBREW WORD STUDY – THANKSGIVING – TODAH – תדה   Taw Daleth Hei

Nehemiah 12:46: “For in the days of David and Asaph of old [there were] chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.”

The people Israel are now regathered in their land after 70 years of captivity.  What are they being commanded to do?  To sing songs of praise and thanksgiving.  What about worship, glorifying the Lord, what about songs of joy?  Well, the word for praise is halal and all those in my Hebrew class last week may recall our study on that word halal.  The word means “worship”, showing honor, showing respect, making God shine and even Thanksgiving. Whatever else we do to bring honor to God is wrapped up in that word halal. 

Yet, notice the word thanksgiving stands alone and separate from praise. Isn’t thanksgiving included in praise? Why does the writer separate thanksgiving from praise? I mean isn’t thanksgiving an integral part of our worship and offer praise. So why is thanksgiving singled out?

Let’s look at that word for Thanksgiving, it is the word ha-todah from the root word yadah. It is very closely related to yada’ which means an intimacy.  It is thanksgiving that leads us to intimacy with God. If you remove the article you have todah, spelled Taw which is the letter for truth. Jesus said that He is the Truth.  The next letter is the Daleth which means a doorway to the third letter Hei which is the presences of God.   Our thanksgiving to Jesus for His sacrifice on the cross leads us to a doorway or portal to the presence of God and intimacy with Him. 

We do a lot of praising in church and Thanksgiving is kind of thrown in as an afterthought almost.  Would a worship leader dare say: “Ok, let’s not praise or worship God right now, let’s just begin to thank Him, thank Him for everything you can think of to thank Him for. 

I learned the importance of thanksgiving during one of the darkest periods of my life.  I got wiped out just as old Job got wiped out. On my way to my parent’s house my car broke down, the engine was cooked. On top of everything else, I now had no car. A tow truck took me into Michigan City where I left the remains of my car with a mechanic. I mentioned I was going to Chicago and if I could get to the South Shore Train station I could take the train to Chicago and catch the Blueline to O Hara Airport.  My parents were in walking distance of the airport. Someone overheard me and she offers to get me to the train station as she needs to do some good karma.  Karama, mitzvah, I didn’t care, I needed a ride. 

When I got to the airport and walked into the terminal memories of the many trips I took out of that terminal came flooding back.  Life was so joyful, hopeful and filled with great anticipation in those days.  Now life was only filled with hurt, disappointment, pain, and sorrow.  I sat down hanging my head in despair which I suddenly heard The Saxophone Man.   Every time I flew out of that terminal I saw an old boy with a Saxophone and an open Saxophone case and he would play a wide variety of songs including the old Boots Randolph songs.  Many, as well as myself, would throw coins and dollar bills in his Saxophone case to show our appreciation. 

This time The Saxophone Man’s playing was greatly improved and I suspected it was improved because he was playing an inspirational song and I could tell he was playing that song from his heart for he was practically making that saxophone sing. As I sat listening to the music my mind was playing out the lyrics, “Give thanks with a grateful heart, Give thanks to the Holy One, Give thanks because he’s given Jesus Christ His Son, And now let the weak say I am strong, let the poor say I am rich because of what the Lord has done.

I moved away to a corner where I was hidden from the crowd, I leaned against the wall and just sank to my knees weeping and thanking God that nothing changed with Him. As I wept out all the things I could think of that I was thankful for, the Joy of the Lord returned.

That is why I really emphasize thanksgiving, todah, and I suppose why Nehemiah also emphasized it, for it is truly a door or portal to God’s presence.

Oh, by the way, I went searching for the Saxophone Man to drop a generous gift into his saxophone case but I could not find him. I asked a security guard who told me that sadly the Saxophone Man passed away a month earlier as he wistfully said: “Yeah, we all miss him.” 

And, no, he did not hear any saxophone music.