Spirituality
Thanks To Judaism
The Pilgrim's first Thanksgiving was inspired by Jewish religious heritage.
hanksgiving
is the only
American
folk festival
that emerged out of the
religious heritage of
Judaism.
Thanksgiving is asso-
ciated with the
Pilgrims, who regarded
themselves as the heirs
of the children of
Israel. To them,
England was biblical
Egypt, the land of their
oppression, and the
RABBI IRWIN
Atlantic Ocean was the
GRONER
Red Sea. Since its crossing
Special to the
was escape from bondage,
Jewish News
the New World was the
Promised Land.
Their first harvest was meager. But they read the
Bible in the original Hebrew and they understood
God's commandment to observe a festival of harvest
as a time of thanksgiving. They did not measure
God's bounties in quantitative terms. Therefore, even
for their meager harvest, they ordained a festival of
Thanksgiving, which was to be a counterpart of the
Jewish festival of Sukkot.
This festival, to be observed by later generations,
was to be sacred to all Americans. It was not to be
celebrated on Sunday, Saturday or on Friday, holy
days in religions of the West. It was to be celebrated
on Thursday, which, in its own way, would become
sacred to all Americans — one group no more than
another.
Thanksgiving As Imperative
What lessons does Thanksgiving teach us as Jews
and as Americans?
In the Talmud, it is written that in days to come,
when humanity shall have been redeemed and the
Kingdom of Heaven will be at hand, much of the
ritual of our faith will no longer be necessary. What
manner of sacrifice shall men and women then offer?
The sages conclude that one sacrifice alone would
be mandatory — the thanksgiving offering.
The Talmud states that from the day the world
was created, there was no one who authentically
expressed thanks to the Lord until Leah, the wife of
Jacob, declared at the birth of her fourth son: "This
time will I thank the Lord;" therefore, she called his
name, Judah -- Yehuda, which means God be
thanked.
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11/16
2001
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In the course of time, this name was extended to
apply to all of the descendants of Jacob who to this
day are called Yehudim, or "Jews": namely, those who
thank God.
The perennial question of "Who is a Jew?" may
well be answered thusly: one who knows how to give
thanks to the Almighty.
Moreover, a blessing was introduced into the
Amidah to be recited thrice daily, expressing thanks
not only for extraordinary happenings, but for the
day-to-day miracles of existence and for the wonders
of each moment.
To express gratitude, one need not wait for some-
thing unusual or supernatural to occur. Every day in
our lives is full of wonders; and, in the language of
Shakespeare, "there is great cause to give thanks."
Counting Our Blessings
If we were asked to draw up a list of our assets, we
would probably never think of mentioning such
things as our vision, our limbs, our sanity, our ability
to eat and speak. Everyone has that, we say.
Well, on second thought, almost everyone. But
would we be willing to exchange any of these bless-
ings for all those things we want so badly that, by
their absence, they fill us with discontent and despoil
us of a sense of gratefulness?
The irony of life is that it takes a serious threat to
our blessings to make us aware of them. Sometimes
we do not value them until they are gone beyond
retrieving.
How Can We Give Thanks?
This year we celebrate the festival of Thanksgiving in
the spirit of foreboding and anxiety. We are faced
with an adversary who hides in the caves of
Afghanistan and elsewhere, and who finds perverse
pleasure in transmitting his blind and mindless
hatred to his adherents.
Seized by such evil intent, religious fanatics seek to
undermine the values of human dignity and freedom
that have inspired the noblest dreams of humanity
Thus have we seen the diabolical determination of
our enemies to engage in mass destruction and the
demoralization of millions.
Sept. 11, like Dec. 7, will be a day that will live on
in infamy. As a consequence of the tragedy that
occurred in September, many people have been
reluctant to engage in air travel. Tourism in Israel
has plummeted. The discovery of anthrax on letters
to political leaders and media figures has made the
simple and innocuous act of opening one's mail an
issue of risk.
The Hope Of The Season
Is this the year in which to offer gratitude for our
blessings? We turn to the wisdom of the past.
It would be well to remember that the Pilgrims
expressed the authentic spirit of biblical religion
when they praised God in the face of hardship and
hostility. That spirit has continued to inspire the
Jewish people. It was expressed by a sage in the
Talmud, who was tested with many difficulties.
Nevertheless, he said, after each painful experience,
Chaim zu letovah — "This, too, is for good."
Let us see beyond our problems and frustrations to
a renewal of the message of healing and moral striv-
ing that will be fulfilled in the ultimate victory of
righteousness. Given that respective, let us reaffirm
our hope and faith.
I note one small yet exceedingly meaningful event
in the Muslim community that gives us hope for the
ultimate restoration of the spirit of democracy for all
Americans.
I recently received an announcement of the grand
opening of a mosque in the Grand Blanc area, dedi-
cated to traditional Islam. The Muslim leaders
declared, "We will take advantage of this auspicious
occasion (of Ramadan) to again denounce terrorism
in all its forms — whether cultural, ideological or
political."
❑
Irwin Groner is senior rabbi of Congregation Shaarey
Zedek.