What appears here is that it is absolutely forbidden to say that the Holy One, blessed be He, needs our thanks and praises, as if He benefits or fulfills a need from them. Heaven forbid to say such a thing!! This is explicitly stated in the words of our sages, as brought in Yalkut Shimoni (Job 933:41), where the Holy One says: "Who praised Me before I gave him a soul."

Rather, the explanation is that there are two separate matters here: praise ("kilos") and thanks ("hodaya"), each with its own distinct meaning. 'Kilos' refers to words of praise, and even praise consisting of mere words, superficial and without heartfelt intention, is called 'kilos.' About this, the sages have passed their judgment and said, "Who praised Me before I gave him a soul" – indicating that the Holy One has no desire for a person to fill his mouth with praise while his heart is not with him.

However, the term 'hodaya' refers to true thanks, a gratitude that comes from genuine recognition of goodness, where 'his mouth and heart are aligned,' with words coming from the heart, from the depths of awareness. This kind of thanks the sages praised and elevated in their interpretation of the verse "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever," stating that "Israel has nothing with which to repay the Holy One except thanks alone" — it is this kind of thanks that this verse refers to, thanks coming from the recognition of His goodness and enduring kindness.

Hence, it is to be explained that the Holy One's desire for this kind of thanks is truly not due to His own need, heaven forbid, as this cannot be said, as mentioned above. Rather, it is for our sake and benefit, as sincere and true gratitude, arising from recognition of goodness, has the power to elevate a person, to uplift and draw him closer and closer to the Holy One and His service. Indeed, recognizing the goodness and kindness of the Almighty is a condition for drawing close to Him and His service, and one who is ungrateful will never be able to truly believe in the Lord and draw near to serve Him.