The basic form of gratitude is counting your blessings-something good happens in our life we notice it and thank G-D for it.

This week's Torah Portion introduces another way to spice up our gratitude: Looking at the Before and After in life. Notice how your life was before you received the gift and after, see how much better life is.

This week we learn how the jews were counted. One of the reasons given is for the jews to reflect how far they came in such a short time. Going from a nation of 70 to over 600,000.

There was a pauper who one day struck it rich. Every year on the anniversary of the windfall he would make a huge party inviting the whole city. Besides for having the best food and drink with a band for everyone to enjoy, he had this custom where he put on the rags from the days from when he was a pauper. This was to remind him of his past and how his life changed in such an extreme way.

So the next time we have what to be grateful for, instead of just noticing the good we received, add to that reflecting on how much our life has been transformed for the better because of the gift that was given to us.

Idea based on a Ramban on Parshas Bamidbar

Restrictions don't just have to be stifling they can also be dignifying.

Most of us associate prohibitions as something which deprives us of a life of freedom. Like, why cant I just do what i want?!

If you were to observe the lifestyle of King Charles , it will appear to you as if the king has no freedom. He cant bring muddy boots into the palace, He always has to dress perfectly. Such a lifestyle seems unbreathable.

But you know that the King's life is far from a stifling life, so how do you make sense of your observation?

The answer is, royalty demands higher standards. When the Royal Family avoids junk foods its not because they're depriving themselves , its because they appreciate living a more aristocratic life

Same with our spirituality, we are choosing to live a regal life by staying away from spiritually harmful behaviors. We are a higher class and appreciate finer things. We realize who we are.

With this perspective in mind, the next time we encounter a prohibition in our life ,instead of focusing on how annoying it is that I can't engage in the behavior we can instead see it as an opportunity to recognize my inner royalty.

Idea based on Ohr HaChaim on Parshas Emor

There are 2 prohibitions in the Torah that both talk about making changes to the body yet are written differently.

When the Torah prohibits cutting your body in agony over the loss of a relative it says "you shall not make a cut in your "flesh""(Leviticus 19-28)

In the same verse when it prohibits tattooing oneself it says "a tattoo you shall not place on yourselves"" .It does not say on your "flesh"

Why the different wording ?

The Ohr HaChaim explains, the Creator in his great compassion takes into account the mourner's distress and lessens the spiritual damage that this sin causes. The word "flesh" implies the effect of the sin is only external.

Whereas by tattoo a person usually not under distress so the Torah says ,don't cause damage to "yourselves". By doing the sin with full composure one's sin is causing damage to "yourselves" - your inner essence.

2 things that I took out of this Ohr HaChaim:

#1: We see that if the Creator takes into account our pain and distress and lessens the spiritual damage that it causes , then surely if we don't give into the urge and pass the test or we do Mitzvos even when we are in distress than surely we get tremendous reward. As our Sages tell us "depending on the pain/effort that's how much reward". And "One act in pain is better than 100 acts without".

#2: If the Creator takes into consideration our full picture ,then we should do that for our friends. When our friend wrongs us instead of writing him off as an evil, insensitive person, we could look at his full picture and realize he might be going through something difficult right now.