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EXPRESSING THANKS AND GRATITUDE
country literally gave their lives to guarantee
our freedom?
AppleTree Editor
As Jews, we have ways to thank God every
or Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, I day. Expressing this gratitude may seem, at
mere existence was enough. "Just to ! times, like just another chore. But how can we
I be casual when we think of the wonderful world
be is a blessing," he said. "Just to
God created?
live is holy."
I One of the best ways to remember hoW fortu-
It can, however, be difficult to think about
I nate we are, how "just to live" is indeed holy, is
holiness when so much everyday life is con-
1 to say a blessing expressing thanks. There are
sumed with the mundane, from paying bills
I many in Judaism, but a good place to start is
to doing laundry.
I with food. When we say a brachah, blessing,
This month, as we celebrate Thanksgiving
I before putting food or drink in our mouths, it
on Nov. 22, we remember our blessings as
1 makes us pause and consider how lucky we are
Americans — and they are many. We enjoy
1 to have enough to eat; it makes such a seeming-
such rights as freedom of religion and free-
! ly ordinary activity like eating an almost holy
dom of speech which, to us, seem ordinary.
I experience.
But how can we be casual when we think
what our ancestors endured simply because of 1 Chances are you already know the blessings
I for wine and bread. But if you've never learned
their faith, and how our predecessors in this
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM
F
the other blessings for food, here's how to get
I started. You'll also find ideas for making this a
happy learning experience with your children.
I First, begin by rounding up something from
1 each of the following categories:
A vegetable grown in the ground: such as
I potato, beets, celery, carrots.
A fruit from a tree: apples, oranges, pear,
peach.
A flour product that's not bread: crackers,
I cookies.
I Something that's not bread or wine or men-
!
tioned above: candy, a drink, a piece of cheese.
First, you should know that all blessings start
1 the same:
' Baruch atah Adoshem Elokeinu melech ha'olam
Now here's how to finish it:
For foods from the ground: bo-rei pa-ree ha-
adamtzh.
11/16
2001
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