Cultivating Gratitude
住讬诪谉 讬讚
讜讻讬 转讝讘讞讜 讝讘讞 转讜讚讛. 专讘讬 驻谞讞住 讜专讘讬 诇讜讬 讜专讘讬 讬讜讞谞谉 讗诪专 讘砖诐 专讘讬 诪谞讞诐 讚讙诇讬诇, 诇注转讬讚 诇讘讗, 讻诇 讛拽专讘谞讜转 讻讜诇谉 讘讟诇讬谉, 讜拽专讘谉 转讜讚讛 讗讬谞讜 讘讟诇 诇注讜诇诐. 讻诇 讛讛讜讚讬讜转 讘讟诇讬谉, 讜讛讜讚讬讬转 转讜讚讛 讗讬谞讛 讘讟诇讛 诇注讜诇诐, 讛讚讗 讛讜讗 讚讻转讬讘, 拽讜诇 砖砖讜谉 讜拽讜诇 砖诪讞讛, 拽讜诇 讞转谉 讜拽讜诇 讻诇讛, 拽讜诇 讗讜诪专讬诐 讛讜讚讜 讗转 讛’ 爪讘讗讜转. 讻讬 讟讜讘 讛’ 讻讬 诇注讜诇诐 讞住讚讜, 诪讘讬讗讬诐 转讜讚讛 讘讬转 讛’ (讬专诪’ 诇讙 讬讗), 讝讛 拽专讘谉 转讜讚讛. 讜讻谉 讚讜讚 讗诪专, 注诇讬 讗诇讛讬诐 谞讚专讬讱, 讗砖诇诐 转讜讚讜转 诇讱 (转讛诇讬’ 谞讜 讬讙). 转讜讚讛 讗讬谉 讻转讬讘 讻讗谉, 讗诇讗 转讜讚讜转, 讛讛讜讚讬讛 讜拽专讘谉 转讜讚讛
Va-yikra Rabbah Parashat Emor Section 14
“When you sacrifice a Thanksgiving offering to the Lord, sacrifice it so that it may be acceptable in your favor” (Lev. 22:29). Rabbi Pinchas, Rabbi Levi and Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Menachem of the Galilee, “In future times, the observance of the sacrifices will be nullified, with the exception of the Thanksgiving offering which will never be nullified. The offering of thanksgiving will never be nullified as it is written, ‘The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the bride, the voice of them that say, “Give thanks to the Lord of hosts, for God’s mercy endures forever,” even of them that bring offerings of thanksgiving into the house of the Lord’ (Jer. 33:11). This is the Thanksgiving offering.”
According to the rabbinic imagination described in this midrash, the messianic era will not be accompanied by a full return of the Temple service and various sacrifices described in this week’s parashah. Rather, in the opinion of Rabbi Menachem of the Galilee, in the messianic era no act of sacrifice will be practiced, save the thanksgiving offering. This vision of a future, idealized religious practice is a little surprising. One could imagine a vision of future practice that includes all of the sacrificial offerings. The rabbis, after all, wrote this midrash in exile while longing for a rebuilt Jerusalem and Temple. Why not, then, describe a future in which all of the sacrifices are reinstated? Alternatively, the rabbis could have created a vision for religious expression totally devoid of the need for worship and offerings. Instead of either of these alternatives, in this midrash, the only sacrifice maintained in future times is one that is offered voluntarily to God in gratitude for any reason, from being delivered from danger to experiencing success in business.
The cultivation of gratitude in this world can be a difficult process. It is a challenge to step out of the flow of daily life with all of its noise and distraction. It can be difficult to merely say the words thank you鈥�thank you for the blessings, whether abundant or few, that surround us; thank you to our loved ones for the fact that we are alive in a world filled with so much potential. To live life in gratitude is a challenge, but the importance of this challenge is what this midrash stresses. It is not our faults and failures that will live on and be present in some future time; rather, it is the love and appreciation we bring into the world that goes on and will always be present, whether in the form of sacrifice, prayer, or the relationships we build with each other and God.
