By: Michelle Ruby
Director of Israel Teen Emissaries and Education
In this week’s Torah portion, Vayetzei, we read the story of Jacob’s wife Leah giving birth to her fourth son, whom she names Judah. It is considered the first explicit show of gratitude to G-d. She says, “This time I will praise G-d” and name him Yehudah, which comes from the Hebrew word hoda’ah, meaning to thank. Leah had a challenging life and often felt overlooked and lesser than her sister, so this expression of gratitude doesn’t seem like it comes from a place of getting everything she has wanted, but rather from the idea that great blessing can come from struggle.
Those of you who know my Shabbat message style know that I don’t believe Torah portions landing on particular weeks are a coincidence but a “meant to be” sort of situation. Could it really be that the first expression of gratitude to G-d in the whole Torah happens to be read this year on Thanksgiving weekend? After a year of challenges and hardship, we have arrived at the end of the year, a time when we feel a noticeable shift in the environment toward thankfulness and giving. For someone like me who tries to approach every day from a place of gratitude, it feels good to have the world around me join in, and it makes me realize that some of my deepest appreciation comes from the difficulties this year has presented. The one that I am sitting with the most right now, is the overwhelming sense of appreciation is that after 2 years of struggle for the people of Israel—not just the ones who live there, but all of us—are able to breathe a little easier and have the opportunity to start repairing instead of wondering if something else is going to break each day.
May this week give everyone a chance to reflect on what we are truly grateful for, the challenges we have overcome that have brought us here, and energize us to bring goodness and joy to those around us.
Please email Michelle Ruby at mruby@jewishcolorado.org with questions or comments.