The Obligation of Gratitude in Jewish Life

וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ וְשָׂבָ֑עְתָּ וּבֵֽרַכְתָּ֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ עַל־הָאָ֥רֶץ הַטֹּבָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָֽתַן־לָֽךְ׃ הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֔ פֶּן־תִּשְׁכַּ֖ח אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ לְבִלְתִּ֨י שְׁמֹ֤ר מִצְוֺתָיו֙ וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֣יו וְחֻקֹּתָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּֽוֹם׃ וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ כֹּחִי֙ וְעֹ֣צֶם יָדִ֔י עָ֥שָׂה לִ֖י אֶת־הַחַ֥יִל הַזֶּֽה׃ וְזָֽכַרְתָּ֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ כִּ֣י ה֗וּא הַנֹּתֵ֥ן לְךָ֛ כֹּ֖חַ לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת חָ֑יִל לְמַ֨עַן הָקִ֧ים אֶת־בְּרִית֛וֹ אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֥ע לַאֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ כַּיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ {פ}

When you have eaten your fill, give thanks to the ETERNAL your God for the good land given to you. Take care lest you forget the ETERNAL your God and fail to keep the commandments, rules, and laws that I enjoin upon you today. and you say to yourselves, “My own power and the might of my own hand have won this wealth for me.” Remember that it is the ETERNAL your God who gives you the power to get wealth, in fulfillment of the covenant made on oath with your fathers, as is still the case.

מִזְמ֥וֹר לְתוֹדָ֑ה הָרִ֥יעוּ לַ֝יהֹוָ֗ה כׇּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ עִבְד֣וּ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה בְּשִׂמְחָ֑ה בֹּ֥אוּ לְ֝פָנָ֗יו בִּרְנָנָֽה׃ בֹּ֤אוּ שְׁעָרָ֨יו ׀ בְּתוֹדָ֗ה חֲצֵרֹתָ֥יו בִּתְהִלָּ֑ה הוֹדוּ־ל֝֗וֹ בָּרְכ֥וּ שְׁמֽוֹ׃

A psalm for praise. Raise a shout for GOD, all the earth; worship GOD in gladness; come into the divine presence with shouts of joy. Enter the temple’s gates with praise, its courts with acclamation. Give praise! Bless the divine name!

אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר פָּפָּא: כׇּל הַנֶּהֱנֶה מִן הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בְּלֹא בְּרָכָה כְּאִילּוּ גּוֹזֵל לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״גּוֹזֵל אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ וְאוֹמֵר אֵין פָּשַׁע חָבֵר הוּא לְאִישׁ מַשְׁחִית״. וְאֵין ״אָבִיו״ אֶלָּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״הֲלֹא הוּא אָבִיךְ קָּנֶךָ״, וְאֵין ״אִמּוֹ״ אֶלָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״שְׁמַע בְּנִי מוּסַר אָבִיךָ וְאַל תִּטּוֹשׁ תּוֹרַת אִמֶּךָ״.

Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa said: Anyone who derives benefit from this world without a blessing, it is as if he stole from God and the community of Israel, as it is stated: “Whoever robs his father and his mother and says: It is no transgression, he is the companion of a destroyer” (Proverbs 28:24). The phrase, his father, refers to none other than God, as it is stated: “Is He not your Father Who created you, Who made you and established you” (Deuteronomy 32:6). The phrase his mother refers to none other than the community of Israel, as it is stated: “Hear, my son, the discipline of your father, and do not forsake the Torah of your mother” (Proverbs 1:8). The mention of the Torah as emanating from the mouth of the mother, apparently means that your mother is the community of Israel.

אִיתְּתֵיהּ דְּקֹרַח אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: חֲזִי מַאי קָעָבֵיד מֹשֶׁה. אִיהוּ הֲוָה מַלְכָּא, לַאֲחוּהּ שַׁוְּויֵהּ כָּהֲנָא רַבָּא, לִבְנֵי אֲחוֹהִי שַׁוִּינְהוּ סְגָנֵי דְּכָהֲנָא. אִי אָתְיָא תְּרוּמָה אָמַר ״תֶּיהְוֵי לְכָהֵן״, אִי אָתוּ מַעֲשֵׂר דְּשָׁקְלִיתוּ אַתּוּן אָמַר ״הַבוּ חַד מֵעַשְׂרָה לְכָהֵן״. וְעוֹד דְּגָיֵיז לֵיהּ לְמָזַיְיכוּ וּמִיטַּלַּל בְּכוּ כִּי כוּפְתָּא, עֵינָא יְהַב בְּמָזַיְיכוּ. אֲמַר לַהּ: הָא אִיהוּ נָמֵי קָא עָבֵיד! אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: כֵּיוָן דְּכוּלְּהוּ רְבוּתָא דִּידֵיהּ, אָמַר אִיהוּ נָמֵי ״תָּמֹת נַפְשִׁי עִם פְּלִשְׁתִּים״.

Korah’s wife said to him: See what Moses is doing. He is the king, he appointed his brother High Priest, and he appointed his brother’s sons deputy priests. If teruma comes, he says: Let it be for the priest; if the first tithe comes, which you as Levites take, he says: Give one tenth to the priest. And furthermore, he shears your hair and waves you as if you are as insignificant as excrement (see Numbers 8:5–11), as though he set his sights on your hair and wishes you to be shaven and unsightly. Korah said to her: But didn’t he also do so; he shaved his hair like the rest of the Levites? She said to him: Since it is all done for his own prominence, he also said metaphorically: “Let me die with the Philistines” (Judges 16:30); he was willing to humiliate himself in order to humiliate you.

יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן פְּרַחְיָה וְנִתַּאי הָאַרְבֵּלִי קִבְּלוּ מֵהֶם. יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן פְּרַחְיָה אוֹמֵר, עֲשֵׂה לְךָ רַב, וּקְנֵה לְךָ חָבֵר, וֶהֱוֵי דָן אֶת כָּל הָאָדָם לְכַף זְכוּת:

Joshua ben Perahiah and Nittai the Arbelite received [the oral tradition] from them. Joshua ben Perahiah used to say: appoint for thyself a teacher, and acquire for thyself a companion and judge all men with the scale weighted in his favor.

מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי מִצְוָה זוֹ, שֶׁרָאוּי לוֹ לָאָדָם שֶׁיַּכִּיר וְיִגְמֹל חֶסֶד לְמִי שֶׁעָשָׂה עִמּוֹ טוֹבָה, וְלֹא יִהְיֶה נָבָל וּמִתְנַכֵּר וּכְפוּי טוֹבָה שֶׁזּוֹ מִדָּה רָעָה וּמְאוּסָה בְּתַכְלִית לִפְנֵי אֱלֹהִים וַאֲנָשִׁים. וְשֶׁיִּתֵּן אֶל לִבּוֹ כִּי הָאָב וְהָאֵם הֵם סִבַּת הֱיוֹתוֹ בָּעוֹלָם, וְעַל כֵּן בֶּאֱמֶת רָאוּי לוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת לָהֶם כָּל כָּבוֹד וְכָל תּוֹעֶלֶת שֶׁיּוּכַל, כִּי הֵם הֱבִיאוּהוּ לָעוֹלָם, גַּם יָגְעוּ בּוֹ כַּמָּה יְגִיעוֹת בְּקַטְנוּתוֹ, וּכְשֶׁיִּקְבַּע זֹאת הַמִּדָּה בְּנַפְשׁוֹ יַעֲלֶה מִמֶּנָּה לְהַכִּיר טוֹבַת הָאֵל בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁהוּא סִבָּתוֹ וְסִבַּת כָּל אֲבוֹתָיו עַד אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, וְשֶׁהוֹצִיאוֹ לַאֲוִיר הָעוֹלָם וְסִפֵּק צָרְכּוֹ כָּל יָמָיו וְהֶעֱמִידוֹ עַל מַתְכֻּנְתּוֹ וּשְׁלֵמוּת אֵבָרָיו, וְנָתַן בּוֹ נֶפֶשׁ יוֹדַעַת וּמַשְׂכֶּלֶת, שֶׁאִלּוּלֵי הַנֶּפֶשׁ שֶׁחֲנָנוֹ הָאֵל, יִהְיֶה כְּסוּס כְּפֶרֶד אֵין הָבִין, וְיַעֲרִיךְ בְּמַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה רָאוּי לְהִזָּהֵר בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ בָּרוּךְ הוּא.

From the roots of this commandment is that it is fitting for a person to acknowledge and return kindness to people who were good to him, and not to be an ungrateful scoundrel, because that is a bad and repulsive attribute before God and people. And he should take to heart that the father and the mother are the cause of his being in the world; and hence it is truly fitting to honor them in every way and give every benefit he can to them, because they brought him to the world, and worked hard for him when he was little. And once he fixes this idea in his soul, he will move up from it to recognize the good of God, blessed be He, Who is his cause and the cause of all his ancestors until the first man (Adam), and that He took him out into the world’s air, and fulfilled his needs every day, and made his body strong and able to stand, and gave him a mind that knows and learns — for without the mind that God granted him, he would be “like a horse or a mule who does not understand.” And he should think at length about how very fitting it is to be careful in his worship of the Blessed be He.

וְרָאוּי לְהַקְדִּים בִּפְתִיחַת הַשַּׁעַר הַזֶּה בֵּאוּר אָפְנֵי הַטּוֹבוֹת וְחִיּוּבֵי הַהוֹדָאָה עֲלֵיהֶם מִבְּנֵי אָדָם קְצָתָם לִקְצָתָם. וְנַעֲלֶה מִזֶּה אֶל מָה שֶׁאָנוּ חַיָּבִין בּוֹ לַבּוֹרֵא יִתְעַלֶּה מִן הַשֶּׁבַח וְהַהוֹדָאָה עַל רוֹב חַסְדּוֹ וְגֹדֶל טוּבוֹ עָלֵינוּ. וְנֹאמַר, כִּי מִן הַיָּדוּעַ אֶצְלֵנוּ כִּי כָל מֵטִיב אֵלֵינוּ אָנוּ חַיָּבִין לְהוֹדוֹת לוֹ כְּפִי כַּוָּנָתוֹ לְהוֹעִיל לָנוּ וְאִם יְקַצֵּר בְּמַעֲשֵׂהוּ לְדָבָר שֶׁיִּקְרֵהוּ יִמְנָעֵהוּ מֵהֵיטִיב אֵלֵינוּ הוֹדָאָתוֹ חוֹבָה עָלֵינוּ כֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּתְבָּרֵר לָנוּ כִּי דַּעְתּוֹ עָלֵינוּ לְטוֹב וְכִי כַּוָּנָתוֹ לְהוֹעִיל לָנוּ. וְאִם תַּגִּיעַ לָנוּ שׁוּם טוֹבָה עַל יְדֵי מִי שֶׁלֹּא כִּוֵּן בָּהּ אֵלֵינוּ יִסְתַּלְּקוּ מֵעָלֵינוּ חִיּוּבֵי הַהוֹדָאָה לוֹ וְאֵין אָנוּ חַיָּבִין בָּהּ. וְכַאֲשֶׁר נִתְבּוֹנֵן בְּטוֹבוֹת בְּנֵי אָדָם קְצָתָם אֶל קְצָתָם אֵינָן יוֹצְאוֹת מֵאֶחָד מֵחֲמִשָּׁה פָּנִים (ס״א מינים): הָאֶחָד: טוֹבַת הָאָב עַל הַבֵּן.

It is proper to open this treatise with an exposition of the various kinds of benefits human beings render each other, and the corresponding obligations of gratitude. We shall then ascend to the consideration of what we owe to the exalted Creator in praise and thanksgiving for His abounding kindness and great goodness to us. We assert, as a truth generally recognized, that if anyone benefits us, we are under an obligation of gratitude to him in accordance with his intent to help us. Even if he actually falls short, owing to some mishap which prevents his benefiting us, we are still bound to be grateful to him, since we are convinced that he has a benevolent disposition towards us and his intention is to be of benefit to us. On the other hand, should we obtain any benefit through one who had no such intention, the duties of gratitude to that person would cease and we are under no such obligation.

וְהִנֵּה מָה שֶׁהוֹרוּנוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה הוּא, שֶׁהָאָדָם לֹא נִבְרָא אֶלָּא לְהִתְעַנֵּג עַל ה' וְלֵהָנוֹת מִזִּיו שְׁכִינָתוֹ שֶׁזֶּהוּ הַתַּעֲנוּג הָאֲמִתִּי וְהָעִדּוּן הַגָּדוֹל מִכָּל הָעִדּוּנִים שֶׁיְּכוֹלִים לְהִמָּצֵא.

Behold, what our sages, of blessed memory, have taught us is that man was created solely to delight in G-d and to derive pleasure in the radiance of the Shechina (divine presence).

כמו שאיתא (שבת קנא:) כל המרחם על הבריות מרחמין עליו מן השמים. לכך צריך האדם להתנהג במדת רחמים וטובות ובכל המדות טובות ויהיה שמח בחלקו ואז גם מלמעלה יגיע לו כך, וכן הוא במדרש על פסוק ה' צלך.

We know that when G’d created the universe He ‎related to it by “showering” it with His largesse. ‎Another word for this “largesse” of G’d is ‎אור ישר‎, “direct ‎light,” as opposed to ‎אור חוזר‎, “reflected light.” When the ‎creatures (both the living and the inert) boast of ‎serving their Creator, this is called ‎אור חוזר‎. The term ‎implies that the creatures, as an expression of ‎gratitude to their Creator “pay back” with adulation for ‎their Creator.

"רְאֵה נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ הַיּוֹם אֶת הַחַיִּים וְאֶת הַטּוֹב וְגוֹ' אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם לְאַהֲבָה אֶת ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ לָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכָיו וְלִשְׁמֹר מִצְוֹתָיו וְחֻקּוֹתָיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו" וְגוֹ'? וְאִם כֵּן בְּהֶרְחֵב הַזְּמַן יִהְיֶה נָקַי מִכָּל הָעֲוֹנוֹת שֶׁבֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ.

We learned, that in an earthly act, an act in the heavens is awakened, if a person act here properly,a mirror act will be awakened in the heavens, a person does kindness in the world, kindness is awakened above and it stays on that day and is adorned with it for him, and if a person acts with mercy below, he arouses mercy on that day and is adorned with mercy for him and then on that day he is going to be a protector for him when he needs it, etc., blessed is he who does a kosher deed below, for it depends entirely on the deed to arouse [as mirror action above] something else.