Thanksgiving: A Time of Gratitude

By Rabbi Debra Smith

At this time of the year, days grow shorter and the weather becomes chilly and cold, depending on where you are. However, this is also a season of gratitude with the holiday of Thanksgiving soon upon us.

Thanksgiving gives me the opportunity to review and practice my gratitude work. Gratitude practice is a spiritual practice that I have worked hard to develop over the years. Judaism’s Mussar teachings that we share in our Chai Mitzvah Mussar curriculum have served as my guide to developing my own gratitude practice.

Gratitude, Hakarat HaTov, literally means “noticing or recognizing the good.” Hopefully, as we notice that a good deed has been done on our behalf, we will store that memory and pay it forward directly to the bestower of the kindness or to others in their honor. This interconnects memory, gratitude, and loving kindness.

At this season of the year, we might ask ourselves to whom in our lives do we owe gratitude, and how can we or how have we expressed that gratitude?

…to whom in our lives do we owe gratitude?

Judaism also teaches us that the opposite of gratitude, ingratitude, or “covering over the good,” is a practice we need to work on decreasing in our lives. Judaism considers those who complain incessantly to be sinners.

Perhaps at this time of year, we can each ask ourselves what we tend to complain about most and what it would take to refrain from complaining and see our cup as full or half full, rather than empty or half empty.

Judaism urges us to give thanks,  regardless of circumstances: “In pleasure or pain, give thanks.”

How can we each find a way to do this? That is something to be considered as we celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family.

In closing my blog, I would like to share the lyrics of a song written by the Israeli composer, Uzi Hitman. His words leave us much to think about on Thanksgiving and all year long.

“Thanks for all you made/thanks for all you gave me
Insight and understanding/a friend or two
For all that I have in the world
A flowing song/a forgiving heart
Because of this, I go on

Thanks for all you made/thanks for all you gave me
A child’s laughter/ blue skies
A piece of land and a warm home
A place to sit/loving friends
Because of this, I go on

Thanks for all you made/thanks for all you gave me
A day  of happiness/honesty and integrity
A sad day that is gone/the victory of 2000 years
And the white wings of peace
Because of all this, I go on.”

Many blessings for a Happy Thanksgiving to the Chai Mitzvah community.