The concept of “giving thanks” is one that is essential to our lives. In America, the calendar day for its official celebration is the holiday of Thanksgiving. It’s a very meaningful holiday, where the Pilgrims’ safe journey across the ocean to America is celebrated. It’s also a time to get together with family and friends and to reflect upon all of the good things in our lives. We express thanks to God and to the special people in our lives.
For the People of Israel, the concept of giving thanks goes even deeper. We celebrate “thanksgiving” not only once a year – but every single day! Living in the Holy Land, there is a deep, constant awareness of being thankful to God for giving us such a majestic, magnificent place to live. We thank God throughout each day – for bringing us to our eternal homeland after 2000 years of exile, and for allowing us the privilege of living freely as Jews.
Not only that, before each bite of food, we thank God for sustaining us with food from a Land that is so special! And after using the restroom we thank God for the wonder of our bodies. When we finish a meal, we thank God for keeping us healthy with amazing food from Israel… the list is endless!
The focal point of being Jewish is internalizing the concept of gratitude. We are supposed to be in a constant state of appreciation for everything that we have – at every moment. In fact, the word in Hebrew for Jews, “Yehudim” (יהודים), comes from the word “thanks,” because our very core is that of gratefulness. Our essence is THANKSGIVING.
Please enjoy your holiday – and all that goes along with it. But always remember to try and make EVERY DAY one of “Thanksgiving!”
We thank you for being great friends and supporters of the People, Country and Land of Israel.
Source: United with Israel
