Honestly, I’m having trouble writing this column because right now, I’m having trouble being thankful. Thank G-d I have my life, my health, my family and my friends.

But, I find myself asking G-d why a terrible tragedy happened this Thanksgiving? Why did a terrorist group attack in India, take hostages and kill hundreds? Why were a young rabbi and his wife, Gavriel and Rivkah Holtzberg, among the dead?

It’s hard for me to fathom why two people whose lives were dedicated to hospitality and caring for others were targeted in this egregious hostage taking. I cannot understand and probably never will. However, in their memory, I’ve taken it upon myself to be more diligent with my morning prayers.

Jewish prayer consists of three main components; praise, request and thanks. Jews are obligated to pray three times a day to replace the three daily sacrifices that were brought in the time of the holy temple.

While all three components of prayer are important, thanking stands out to me more significantly. We thank G-d for all kinds of things that maybe we wouldn’t appreciate, had we not taken the time to thank Him.

The first prayer said upon awakening is Modeh Ani, thanking G-d for returning our souls to our bodies. We also thank Him in the morning for giving us sight, fulfilling our needs, giving us strength, etc.

The prayers are a reminder that without G-d’s blessing, we might not be so fortunate; He controls this world, and at anytime, we may not have what we have right now.

Aside from praying three times a day, the Jewish day is full of thanks. We thank G-d before and after we eat for giving us food. We even thank G-d for having working bodily functions every time we use the bathroom.

During the time of the holy temple in Jerusalem, a person who was a freed captive, crossed the sea, traveled through the desert or recovered from an illness would bring a sacrifice. The sacrifice, called a Korban Todah — literally the Sacrifice of Thanks — consisted of different loaves of bread, and when it was brought, the Levites would sing.

Today, since we no longer have a temple and no longer bring sacrifices, the song is sung in our daily prayers and is called Mizmor LeTodah. If the Holtzbergs had survived, they would have sung this song with the utmost fervor. And now, since they cannot, I will.

Reach opinion editor Natalie Sikavi at opinion@dailyuw.com.