Thankful For Thanksgiving Jerusalem he concept of giving thanks seems to be universal, something that is expressed — in one way or another — in every religion and every cul- ture. The impulse to give thanks may even be instinctive: Dogs don't learn to wag their tails. Predatory animals aren't taught to refrain from attack- ing their benefactors. In a mood of bitter humor, author and humorist Mark Twain commented that if you were to find a wounded and hungry dog on the street and dress its wounds and feed its hunger, that dog would never bite you. And that, he claimed, is the main difference between dogs and men. Although the phenome- non of human free will is often perceived as intrinsi- cally good, Twain's wry observation emphasizes that it is only as good as the choices we make with it. We sometimes use our free will to overrule our best and purest instincts — including grati- tude. T Most societies value the expression of appreciation, and recognize its ability to smooth the rough edges of interpersonal relations. For this rea- son, we make a point of teaching our children to express thanks from a very early age. We strive to instill gratitude as a habit, even if at times we know that the feeling behind the gesture may be lacking. We sense, intuitively, that a society that deval- ues or denigrates the concept of gratitude — that defines relation- not modulate our gratitude by his deep relationship based on an accounting, on with God. some evaluation of profit and The structure of giving loss, nor does giving thanks thanks on a regular basis, necessarily mean that we are even in hard times, encour- satisfied. ages us to focus on the posi- The very first blessing we tive side of life: It does not say in the morning, our very mean that we forget the first act of the day, expresses dark side, just that we keep RABBI ADIN a true perspective, giving thanks that Vve are alive ... STET N SALTZ the positive side its due. even if we are ill. We make a Special blessing over the gift of sight Sorrow and anxiety should Commentary ... even if our vision is dim. not extinguish our ability to And we give thanks say "thank you" for our for having clothes to blessings, even when they put on ... even if are obscured by pain. they are threadbare. Harder times can shake us These obligatory blessings from complacency and may enhance in guard us against taking our us the ability to perceive the good as a most basic gifts for granted. gift to be appreciated and acknowl- It feels easier and more edged — in good times and in bad. natural to give thanks when In the end, feeling and expressing everything seems to be gratitude is good for us. The going well, when we have Almighty does not "need" our peace and security, health thanksgiving. It is we who benefit and bounty. But when we from feeling and expressing it. Our are in a situation of war Jewish liturgy contains a seldom- and fear, of sickness and noticed prayer, hidden within a poverty, when our inclination is to prayer, which acknowledges this. cry and curse, it is much more diffi- The phrase appears at a high point cult to give thanks — but it is still in the service, yet it is said to one- possible and necessary. self: "We thank You for inspiring us When he was poor and starving, to thank You." This goes well the famous Reb Zushya is said to beyond being thankful for our objec- have thanked God for giving him tive gifts. It recognizes that even our such a good appetite! It is no coinci- ability to know that we should be dence that Reb Zushya's profound grateful is a gift from God and wor- capacity for gratitude was matched thy of thanks. The structure of giving thanks on a regular basis, even in hard times, encourages us to focus on the positive side of life. Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz is an author, historian and social critic who translated the Talmud into five modern languages. E-mail: steinsaltz@milita.co.il ships by functionality alone — can- not, and probably ought not, thrive. The same is true of our relation- ship with God. Giving thanks in a religious, context is an extension of the basic impulse to be grateful in an interpersonal context. In Judaism, we offer thanks to the Almighty for each gift, even as we ask (or remon- strate) about what we lack. We do ❑ No Reason To Escalate Hostilities Ramat Gan, Israel tom the beginning of this war more than two years ago, the central strategy of the Palestinian leadership, and Yasser Arafat in particular, has been to use terror in an effort to provoke Israel into responses that would lead to the deployment of an international force. However, Israeli leaders, and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in particular, have carefully avoided this trap, treading cautiously despite the bru- tality of the attacks. ri Gerald M. Steinberg, a professor, is director of the Program on Conflict Management and Negotiation in the political studies department at Bar-Ilan University in Israel. E-mail: gerald@vms.huji.ac.il Over the past 18 months, the Israel Defense Forces' responses have been based on measured escalation, steadily eroding the Palestinian abili- ty to launch attacks and destroying the caches of arms and explosives that were acquired under the cover provided through the Oslo political framework. Following the wave of suicide bombings in March, including the Pesach-night massacre in Netanya's Park Hotel, the government and mil- itary launched an assault to uproot the terror networks in Jenin and other Palestinian strongholds. This marked a fundamental change in the direction of events, and since then, the Palestinian side has been losing ground. The ambush and murder of 12 security personnel in Hebron the night of Nov. 15 (apparently, desperate effort to avoid the assault was initially defeat, was not accidental; designed to be a mass attack the Palestinian leadership is against civilians in Kiryat very aware of the special Arba) is unlikely to alter this sensitivity of this city. pattern. According to tradition and Despite the pain from the the biblical account, the resulting loss of so many double Machpelah Cave accomplished individuals, contains the graves of the GERALD M. founders of the Jewish peo- most of whom were killed while trying to rescue the first STEINBERG ple. Special group of casualties, this attack It is the most ancient of Commentary does not alter the overall sacred Jewish sites. Hebron trend toward the defeat of the was also King David's capital terrorist groups (Fatah, prior to the triumphant Hamas, Islamic Jihad, etc.) entry into Jerusalem, further and the destruction of the sanctifying the city in Jewish tradi- Palestinian Authority, which is tion. In 1929, the massacre of the responsible for launching this cam- Jewish community in Hebron (also paign of terror. on Shabbat) marked the first and The choice of Hebron for launch- archetypal confrontation in the mod- ing this deadly assault, perhaps in a STEINBERG on page 34 0 AV 11/22 2002 33