By Rabbi Yosef Pinkus

Dear Rabbi,

Every year at the Seder we go through all the steps, and honestly it can be a little overwhelming. Any tips about what to focus on?

— Rachel

Dear Rachel,

You are not alone — Seder night is a tough one for many. It’s late, and there’s a lot going on.

If I had to focus on one moment, I’d focus on the prayer said near the end of the evening: the Hallel, and specifically when we say Psalm 136. The Talmud refers to that psalm as “the Great Praise,” and for good reason. It’s a beautiful prayer. It opens with grand cosmic themes, carefully developing a thankful perspective on G-d’s universal rule in nature and history — the greatness, majesty and mighty acts throughout the history of the world and the Jewish people. You’d expect it to end there, on something big.

Instead, the near-final verse strikes a counterintuitively basic note: “He who gives bread to all flesh, for His kindness is everlasting.”

What we see from this simple exclamation, serving as the poetic climax of the psalm, is something that should reframe the way we think about G-d’s beneficence. All of those big, earth-shattering descriptions pale in comparison to the love and care given daily. The daily bread that sustains us day in and day out — these most mundane aspects of human life — are the ultimate expression of His lovingkindness.

We normally reserve our gratitude for when something exceptional happens, and the Seder night feels much in that vein. However, what this psalm teaches us is that we need to have a broader perspective. The same G-d who took us out of Egypt is the same one who makes sure there is food on the table and fresh air to breathe.

So this year, survey your table: the food, the faces, the fact that everyone has a seat. Say the thanksgiving prayers warmly, in a genuine state of gratitude. This may not be the first thing that comes to mind on Seder eve, but a deep look into the Seder text reveals that these themes of thanks — not just for being taken out of Egypt, but for everything in our lives — are deeply and intentionally woven into the Seder.

Rabbi Yosef Pinkus is a rabbi in the Dallas Community Kollel, a division of the Dallas Area Torah Association. Submit your questions to him at asktherabbi@tjpnews.com.