Recognizing The Good Already In Your Life:
The Hebrew term for gratitude is Hakarat Ha'Tov, which means, literally, "recognizing the good." The good is already there. Practicing gratitude means being fully aware of the the good that is already yours.
Gratitude often doesn't come easily to us, and it usually takes some effort to develop this quality through practice. When we practice gratitude, we make an effort to heighten our awareness of the gifts we already possess, and so relieve ourselves of the exhausting pursuit of the ever-receding targets of those things we think we lack. No wonder gratitude satisfies the soul. It frees us from compulsive grasping, and so gives us back our lives.
Alan Morinis
The Hebrew term for gratitude is Hakarat Ha'Tov, which means, literally, "recognizing the good." The good is already there. Practicing gratitude means being fully aware of the the good that is already yours.
Gratitude often doesn't come easily to us, and it usually takes some effort to develop this quality through practice. When we practice gratitude, we make an effort to heighten our awareness of the gifts we already possess, and so relieve ourselves of the exhausting pursuit of the ever-receding targets of those things we think we lack. No wonder gratitude satisfies the soul. It frees us from compulsive grasping, and so gives us back our lives.
Alan Morinis
Optimism in Every Outcome:
Imagine that everything that happens in this world is for the good, meaning that even things that seem bad initially are really blessings in disguise. This was the attitude of a famous rabbi in the Talmud by the name of Nahum Ish Gamzu, who answered every unfortunate thing that happened to him with the phrase, "This too is for the good."
In one story, Rabbi Nahum was given a chest of jewels to bring to Caesar to convince him to grant a petition from the Jews. He stopped at an inn where the innkeeper stole the jewels and refilled the chest with dust. When Caesar opened the chest he was enraged. As he was being dragged to prison, Rabbi Nahum said only, "This too is for the good."
Later that night, the prophet Elijah, disguised as one of Caesar's advisors, said to the emperor, "Surely the Jews would not deliberately insult Caesar in such a way. The dust must be magic. Send it with the army as they fight the troublesome barbarians.
Caesar did. Lo and behold, when Caesar's generals brought out the dust, the barbarians fled in terror and were defeated. Caesar gave Rabbi Nahum a chest of gold and jewels, granted his petition, and sent him home in honor. "This too is for the good," said Rabbi Nahum.
The Spiritual Practice of Good Acts, by Greg Marcus
Imagine that everything that happens in this world is for the good, meaning that even things that seem bad initially are really blessings in disguise. This was the attitude of a famous rabbi in the Talmud by the name of Nahum Ish Gamzu, who answered every unfortunate thing that happened to him with the phrase, "This too is for the good."
In one story, Rabbi Nahum was given a chest of jewels to bring to Caesar to convince him to grant a petition from the Jews. He stopped at an inn where the innkeeper stole the jewels and refilled the chest with dust. When Caesar opened the chest he was enraged. As he was being dragged to prison, Rabbi Nahum said only, "This too is for the good."
Later that night, the prophet Elijah, disguised as one of Caesar's advisors, said to the emperor, "Surely the Jews would not deliberately insult Caesar in such a way. The dust must be magic. Send it with the army as they fight the troublesome barbarians.
Caesar did. Lo and behold, when Caesar's generals brought out the dust, the barbarians fled in terror and were defeated. Caesar gave Rabbi Nahum a chest of gold and jewels, granted his petition, and sent him home in honor. "This too is for the good," said Rabbi Nahum.
The Spiritual Practice of Good Acts, by Greg Marcus
Love Must Accompany Gratitude:
One who recognized the good that another did for him knows that his friend loves him. And "as in water, face reflects face, so the heart of a person to a person," (Proverbs 27:19) gratitude awakens love. This is the great fundamental in the wisdom of character traits that gratitude brings one to love, which is why this quality is so central. Love without gratitude has no ability to endure.
Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe
One who recognized the good that another did for him knows that his friend loves him. And "as in water, face reflects face, so the heart of a person to a person," (Proverbs 27:19) gratitude awakens love. This is the great fundamental in the wisdom of character traits that gratitude brings one to love, which is why this quality is so central. Love without gratitude has no ability to endure.
Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe
Gratitude Regardless of Self-Gain:
Ben Zoma used to say, "A good guest says, 'How much my host toiled for me! He put so much meat in front of me, so much wine, so much bread--all his exertion was just for me!' A bad guest says, 'What did my host toil for me? I ate just one roll, just one piece of meat, I drank just one cup--all his exertion was for his own household!'"
Babylonian Talmud: B'rachot 58a
Ben Zoma used to say, "A good guest says, 'How much my host toiled for me! He put so much meat in front of me, so much wine, so much bread--all his exertion was just for me!' A bad guest says, 'What did my host toil for me? I ate just one roll, just one piece of meat, I drank just one cup--all his exertion was for his own household!'"
Babylonian Talmud: B'rachot 58a
Here is the principle: the recipient's gratitude should not depend on the effort expended on his behalf. Deriving benefit from someone or something in and of itself requires an expression of gratitude. This appreciation must be shown not only to human beings, but to lower orders of creation as well.
Rabbi Chaim Shmulevitz
Rabbi Chaim Shmulevitz
Gratitude as an Obligation:
Gratitude is not just a nice gesture or a worthy personal quality. It is a real obligation like any other in the code of law. If you withhold it, you are a thief!
Rabbi Yerucham Levovitz
Gratitude is not just a nice gesture or a worthy personal quality. It is a real obligation like any other in the code of law. If you withhold it, you are a thief!
Rabbi Yerucham Levovitz