Not all bondage is visible to others. In fact, many of us find ourselves bound by challenges and struggles of which our loved ones are totally unaware: debt, addiction, illness (both chronic and temporary), and more. The invisible and private nature of bondage often reinforces its weight upon us, adding a sense of loneliness and isolation on top of the suffering.

This gratitude exercise comes courtesy of Rabbi Brandon Bernstein and Yitzhak Bronstein at Moishe House, beginning with an insight from the Talmud about how one can help release another from such bondage. It then offers a three-part activity to cultivate a sense of gratitude for being released from the chains of loneliness.