Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is first and foremost a Jewish concept. Moreover, it is a fundamental aspect of Jewish tradition and theology. Our day begins with Modeh Ani — I give thanks, in which we express gratitude for having been given back our souls in the morning. Gratitude has been engrained in us from the beginning of our existence as a nation.

Gratitude is Ubiquitous

Thanksgiving is first and foremost a Jewish concept. Moreover, it is a fundamental aspect of Jewish tradition and theology.

Our day begins with Modeh Ani — I give thanks, in which we express gratitude for having been given back our souls in the morning.

In many prayer book texts, the morning service begins with the word “Hodu” which means “give thanks.” [Incidentally, the Hebrew word for India is Hodu, so is the Hebrew word for turkey!] Gratitude has been engrained in us from the beginning of our existence as a nation. When we would bring Bikkurimfirst fruits to Jerusalem, the objective was to be grateful to G-d for the bountiful harvest. Our sages point to Adam’s big mistake after he had eaten of the forbidden tree of knowledge. Instead of admitting his own guilt he put the blame on G-d for having given him a wife.

According to classical Jewish commentators, the mitzvah of honoring parents is rooted in the concept of gratitude. We must always show our gratitude to our parents for giving us life and raising us.

But the first time the Torah explicitly mentions the concept of gratitude, in fact, is in this week’s Torah portion of Vayeitzei. When the Matriarch Leah bore Jacob his fourth son, she named him Judah, because she said “Now I shall thank [Odeh in Hebrew] G-d.”

According to Rashi she was expressing her gratitude to G-d for having her fourth child.

Leah knew prophetically that Jacob would have twelve sons by four wives. Now that she had given birth to her fourth son, she realized that she had been given more than a quarter of the total number of children Jacob would have. For this special privilege she was so grateful that she named her son Judah which means gratitude.

Whenever she would see or talk to Judah or just mention his name, she would be reminded of her obligation to thank G-d for this great gift.

If anyone were to ask whether Judaism believes in Thanksgiving, it should be obvious that it is one of its fundamental requirements.

Daily Occurrence

But there are also two important caveats.

Firstly, Judaism — as much as it endorses the idea of thanksgiving and honoring parents etc.— underscores the need to make thanksgiving a daily occurrence, not just on one day of the year.

To be sure, the Torah has designated the Festivals of Passover and Sukkos to thank G-d for the great miracles of the past. The rabbis likewise instituted Purim and Chanukah to thank G-d for the miracles that are associated with those days. But, from the perspective of Torah, the message of a Holiday is intended for the entire year. Otherwise it is like going to the store to purchase vital groceries and leaving the groceries at the store, returning home without them.

Directed Gratitude

The second note is to realize that when we express gratitude it must be directed towards the giver of the blessing. To simply say “I am thankful” without the words “to G-d” is like accepting a gift from a friend and then turning away from the friend to say “I am thankful for the gift.”

The object of gratitude is to acknowledge the role of the giver of the blessing. To merely be thankful without directing it to the source of all that is good in our lives — G-d — is to acknowledge the gift and our receiving of it and then to forget the One who gave it to us.

Thanksgiving Offering: Surviving Sacrifice

Now that we understand the importance of expressing gratitude to G-d and to others in Judaism, it is no wonder that our sages tell us that in the Messianic Age the only [private] sacrifice that we will still have to bring will be the thanksgiving offering. At that time we will have to express the most heartfelt gratitude for having taken us out of Galus-exile.

It is also noteworthy that Moshiach is a descendant of Judah — the very symbol of gratitude. Indeed, the word Jew derives from the name Judah. Our most basic characteristic is to not take G-d for granted. This attitude will thus usher in the age when nothing will be taken for granted.

From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Vayeitzei by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.