Parshas Vayeitzei 5781
“Every day is Thanksgiving.”
At the core of the Jewish discomfort with celebrating or recognizing Thanksgiving stands the above sentiment. Yes, there are halachic considerations that surround whether or not eating turkey because, “That’s the minhag,” is appropriate. But halachic issues aside, proclaiming any day as “the one” on which to be thankful is more viscerally unsettling for a People for whom hakaras haTov is such a deeply embedded value.
In Parshas Vayeitzei we read of the birth of Yehudah, Leah’s fourth son, so named as an expression of gratitude to Hashem: “הפעם אודה את ה׳—This time I will give thanks (odeh) to G-d.” Rashi explains that Leah’s gratitude was more pronounced with the birth of this son in particular because of the prophetic knowledge that Yaakov would father twelve children. Equally distributed amongst his four wives, three children would have been her fair share, and with the birth of a fourth son, Leah was overcome with thanks.
The Midrash Rabbah on Parshas Vayechi interprets Yaakov’s blessing at the end of his life to his son Yehudah as foretelling of a future reality in which all members of the nation would be known by his name. This bracha goes fulfilled today as we refer to every descendent of Yaakov as a Yehudi, drawing from Yehudah’s name, regardless of actual lineage traced to him as opposed to Yaakov’s other children. Many explain that this is a reflection not only of Yehudah’s particular prominence among his brothers, but of his actual name and the meaning behind it. A Jew—a Yehudi—is so called because of the value of gratitude that is the hallmark of our nation.
So, yes, every day is Thanksgiving.
But let’s leave aside the question of Jewish celebration of Thanksgiving and instead take a moment to appreciate the Jewish contribution of Thanksgiving. The enterprise of giving thanks is covered in Jewish fingerprints and the fact that a day exists on the secular calendar that pays homage to this value speaks to the remarkable influence that the Jewish Nation has had upon the world.
Thanksgiving suggests the presence of a beneficent G-d who provides for human beings and is worthy of being thanked. Gone from the picture are gods who are petty and wrathful and who need to be bought off with human sacrifice. Gone are the deities who are beset by all the same flaws as human beings, albeit endowed with cosmic power and abilities. Present is the perfect, kind, supreme Being who can serve as an ideal role model for humanity to follow.
Thanksgiving to G-d begets thanksgiving to man. A society that can pause and take stock of blessings received is less arrogant and more sensitive not only to their own needs, but the needs of others as well.
Who brought about this great theological change in the world? Avraham Avinu and his children after him. In a famously censored comment, the Rambam suggests that Christianity and Islam—which both find their roots in Judaism—have become powerful vehicles in the spread of basic Jewish morality. Thanksgiving could not exist within the landscape of the ancient world. It exists in the modern one because of the great influence that Judaism has had upon society.
So far from perfect is society around us—indeed, so far have we fallen from many standards of decency, modesty, and morality of just a generation ago—that we can easily gloss over the massive shift that has taken place over the course of the intervening millennia between Avraham’s days and our own. What is wrong is always more noticeable than what is right. Society’s moral failures naturally grab our attention and we see the world around us as disconnected from Jewish values and teaching. But the shift towards Jewish values is real. Perhaps to a fault, but society is largely more caring, sensitive, and tolerant than ever. In many ways, society is more Jewish than ever.
Thanksgiving is a part of that story and we should appreciate its import. For millennia, we have carried the name Yehudi, dedicating ourselves to the enterprise of giving thanks where it is warranted. We have championed the cause of humility, of appreciating the assistance provided from Above and from our fellow man because no human being can go it alone. From time immemorial, we have shouted “Baruch Hashem” from the hilltops. Thanksgiving is the proof that others around us have been listening and have been influenced.
Should you eat turkey on Thanksgiving? Ask your local Orthodox rabbi. But whether you celebrate the day or not, appreciate it. That Thanksgiving exists should give us faith in humanity all around us to move further and further along the continuum of kindness and goodness. It should remind us that as far from perfect as society may be, it has come far closer to perfection than anyone would dare have guessed a few thousand years ago. If the Jewish People are meant to be a light unto the nations, Thanksgiving is one indication that that mission has already been remarkably successful.
Baruch Hashem.