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Hakaras HaTov: A Jewish Perspective on Recognizing the Good, Gratitude and

Being Optimistic

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 Hakaras HaTov: A Jewish Perspective on Recognizing the Good, Gratitude and Being

Optimistic

Hershey H. Friedman, Ph.D.

Professor of Business
Department of Business Management
Murray Koppelman School of Business
Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
E-mail: x.friedman@att.net

Abstract

The trait of “Hakaras HaTov” which means recognizing the good is discussed often in

many Jewish sources. It actually relates to three different but related ideas: (1) the obligation to

recognize the good that is being done whether by an inanimate object, person, or God; (2) the

importance of being optimistic; and (3) the importance of showing gratitude. The Talmud asserts

that the punishment for being an ingrate is described in the verse (Proverbs 17:13): “He who

repays evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.” This paper will explore why this

middah (trait) is so important to Judaism. It also examines what modern scholarship has to say

about gratitude and thankfulness.

Keywords: Hakaras HaTov, gratitude, depression, happiness, prayer, positive psychology.

 Introduction

The trait of “Hakaras HaTov” is a term that is often discussed in Judaism. It literally

means “recognizing the good” and is sometimes translated as gratitude or thankfulness. Actually,

what it means is that an individual is obligated to recognize the good that was done to him. It

does not matter whether the good was done by an object, person, or God; there is an obligation to

recognize it. Unfortunately, people have a tendency to take so many things for granted; this

includes the beauty of a flower to what parents and friends have done for us. It also hints at the

importance of being optimistic about life. Judaism does not want people to be pessimists.

Optimists tend to see the good in everything and appreciate the world around them. The third

part of hakaros hatov is the act of gratitude. Showing gratitude is also important; it is not

sufficient to think about it. As we shall see, many psychologists feel that the key to happiness is

keeping a gratitude journal; apparently, thinking about gratitude is not enough.

This paper will explore why this middah (trait) is so important to Judaism. Translations

used in this paper are mainly based on Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz (available for free at Sefaria.org;

William Davidson Talmud), ArtScroll, and Soncino (available for free at AWOL – The Ancient

World Online).

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 Examples of Gratitude and Ingratitude in the Torah and Talmud

Adam and Eve

According to Frand (2011), Adam was exiled from the Garden of Eden primarily because

of the sin of ingratitude. His response to God’s question (Genesis 3: 11): “Have you eaten from

the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” demonstrated ingratitude for having a

companion, Eve. Adam’s response was (Genesis 3: 12): “The woman whom you gave to be with

me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” Adam not only blamed Eve, he also showed how

ungrateful he was. Frand (2011) asserts that had Adam confessed his sin without being an

ingrate, God would probably have allowed him to remain in the Garden of Eden. This may be a

powerful lesson to all of humankind: ingrates cannot achieve true happiness.

Birth of Judah

When Judah, the fourth of Jacob’s twelve sons, was born, his mother Leah proclaimed:

“This time I will praise the Lord.” The name Judah, in Hebrew, Yehudah, is based on the

Hebrew word yadah meaning to give thanks or praise. After the ten tribes of Israel were exiled

by the Assyrians, the tribe of Judah was the dominant, remaining tribe and the land became

known as Judah. Later, all of Jacob’s descendants would collectively be called Yehudim, which

translates today from Hebrew into English as “Jews” (Hertz, 1992: 110).

Jacob Shows Gratitude to the Place Where He Lived

The Talmud states that we have an obligation to make improvements to the place in

which we live the way our forefathers did...Jacob set up stores and sold cheaply (Jerusalem
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Shvios 9: 1). This is derived homiletically from the verse (Genesis 33: 18), "And he (Jacob) set

up camp." A person should show gratitude to the place in which he lives.

Ingratitude of Egypt to the Israelites

The verse states (Exodus 1:8): “A new king arose over Egypt who did not know of

Joseph.” This king did not appreciate what Joseph had done for the Egyptians and saved them

from seven years of famine. This often happens to immigrants and this is why the Torah repeats

the precept of not oppressing the stranger 36 times. There is even a special Golden Rule for the

stranger (Leviticus 19:34).

“Do not oppress a stranger; you know the feelings of the stranger, for you
were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 23:9)

“When a stranger dwells among you in your land, you are not to maltreat
him. The stranger who dwells with you shall be like a native among you;
you shall love him like yourself, for you were strangers in the land of
Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19: 33-34)

Xenophobia is quite natural to most people. What is especially unique about the Bible is

how important it considered the precept of not oppressing the stranger. The injunction not to

oppress, mistreat, deride or denigrate the stranger becomes an important law in the Torah and is

mentioned no less than 36 times (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia 59b). The Bible dictates the love

of God (Deuteronomy 6: 5), but not nearly as many times as it commands concern for the

stranger. Friedman & Gerstein (2015) demonstrate how the precept of loving the stranger is

linked to economic prosperity by the Torah.

The Midrash (Midrash Exodus Rabbah 1:8) on the verse “A new king arose over Egypt

who did not know of Joseph” says:

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 Did he then not know Joseph? It is like a parable, said Rabbi Avin, to one
who stoned a friend of the king, whereupon the king commanded: ‘Behead
him, for tomorrow he will do the same thing to me.’ Therefore, Scripture
says of Pharaoh: Today he does not know Joseph, tomorrow he will
declare (Exodus 5:2): ‘I do not know the Lord.’ (translation based on
Soncino and Sefaria.org).

Note that the Midrash makes the point that one who does not show gratitude to people

will eventually not show gratitude to God. One might go one step further and state that one who

does not show gratitude and appreciation to inanimate objects, will eventually not show gratitude

to people.

The First Three Plagues

Aaron, not Moses, was responsible for the first three plagues – blood, frogs, and lice. The

reason for this was that the Nile river protected Moses when he was an infant. His mother had

placed him in a wicker basket and placed it among the reeds in the river (Exodus 1:3). Therefore,

it would have been wrong for Moses to smite the river and cause the plague of blood and later on

the plague of frogs (Midrash Exodus Rabbah 9:10, 10:4). Aaron was also responsible for the

third plague. The lice that afflicted Egypt came from the ground and Moses was supposed to

show gratitude to the earth (Midrash Exodus Rabbah 10:7). After Moses killed the Egyptian, he

hid the body in the sand and was thus helped by the ground (Exodus 2: 11-12). This

demonstrates that one must even show gratitude to inanimate objects.

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War with the Midianites

The Israelites were supposed to go to war with the Midianites since they had sent their

women to seduce the Israelite men (Numbers 25). They also used their sexuality to get the

Israelites to worship the pagan deity, Baal Peor. The Midrash wonders why Moses sent Pinchas

to lead the army against Midian when he was the one commanded to take revenge against the

Midianites. One answer given is that since Moses lived in Midian for many years after escaping

from Egypt (he also married Tzipporah who was a Midianite), it would not have been

appropriate for him to be the one in charge of killing them. The importance of gratitude is so

great that the leader of the Jewish people did not lead them into battle against his former hosts.

The Midrash quotes a popular saying: “One should not throw stones into a well from which he

drank” (Midrash Numbers Rabbah 22:4).

Moses Calls the Jews “Ingrates Son of Ingrates”

The Israelites were constantly complaining when wandering the wilderness. This

particular Talmudic passage refers to the complaint about the manna by the second generation in

the wilderness (Numbers 21: 5). The previous generation that died in the wilderness during the

40 years of wandering had also complained about the manna, and the lack of meat, and “free”

fish they ate in Egypt (Numbers 11).

Our Rabbis taught: In the verse (Deuteronomy 5:26): “Who might grant
that they [the Israelites] would always have such a heart as this in them
always, to fear Me and obey all My commandments” Moses said to the
Israelites, You are ingrates sons of ingrates. When the Holy One, blessed
be He, said to you, “Who might grant that they would always have such a
5
 heart always,” you should have said: 'Thou [i.e., God Himself] grant!'
They proved themselves ungrateful by saying (Numbers 21:5): “Our soul
loathes this insubstantial bread [the manna].” They are the offspring of an
ungrateful ancestor, for it is written (Genesis 3:12), “The woman whom
you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” (Babylonian
Talmud, Avodah Zarah 5a-5b; translation based on Soncino and
ArtScroll).

Dayenu: Prayer of Gratitude in the Passover Haggadah

One of the highpoints of the Passover Seder is a prayer of gratitude, Dayenu. Dayenu

means it would have been enough.

How many good things has God done for us?

If He had brought us out of Egypt, And had not judged against them, It
would have been enough.
If He had judged against them, And not destroyed their idols, It would
have been enough.
If He had destroyed their idols, And not killed their first born, It would
have been enough…
If He had brought us to the land of Israel, And not built for us the Holy
Temple, It would have been enough (from Sacks Haggadah).

This Passover song lists 15 praises. Sacks (2003:40) observes that” This song is a tikkun, a

making-right, for the ingratitude of the Israelites in the wilderness.” In actuality, the Israelites

were constantly complaining about everything (insufficient water, no fish, no meat, from the

time they left Egypt. Their last complaint after hearing the report of the 12 spies was the reason

they had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years until they all died out; their children conquered

the Promised Land (Numbers 13-14).

Neither Hating the Edomite and Abhorring an Egyptian

The Talmud (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Kama 92b) attempts to show that the Hebrew

Bible may be seen as the source of various popular sayings. The question is asked “From where
6
is derived the maxim, “Into the well from which you drank water, do not throw rocks”? The

Talmud answers that this is derived from the Torah verse (Deuteronomy 22:8): “You shall not

hate an Edomite for he is your brother; You shall not hate an Egyptian because you were a

stranger in his land.” Clearly, a decent person must show appreciation to those that have

benefitted him/her. This is interesting given that the Egyptians eventually forgot the good Joseph

had done for them and enslaved the Israelites. All the more, human beings should show

appreciation for people who have only done good for them.

First Fruits / Bikkurim

Farmers were required to bring their first fruits (bikkurim) to the Temple and

(Deuteronomy 26:1-11) recite a specific formula. “And He brought us to this place, and has

given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey” (Deuteronomy 26: 9). The purpose of the

bikkurim was to show gratitude to God for the bountiful harvest and the prayer is one of gratitude

(see Sifri and commentary of Rashi on Deuteronomy 26:3). Because the mitzvah of bikkurim

has to do with gratitude, it overrides other laws.

The Mishnah states: “And all the craftsmen [in Jerusalem] used to rise up
before them [those who brought the first fruits] and greet them” (Bikkurim
3:3). As a rule, a hired worker was not allowed to greet people because all
workers were hired out for a daily wage to an employer and it is viewed as
a form of time stealing. In the case of those who bring the first fruits to
Jerusalem, however, the sages permitted laborers to ask them after their
welfare, because of the fondness for the mitzvah of bringing the first
fruits. What is so special about this mitzvah?

The Torah went out of its way to emphasize the importance of bringing
the first fruits to Jerusalem and, because of it, permitted laborers to stop
work because with the bringing of the first fruits, a person gives
recognition to the good things that Holy Blessed One has provided, with
bountiful blessing from the land. The Halakha [Jewish law] thus
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 determines that even a person who has only one stalk of wheat has to bring
first fruits so as to express thereby gratitude and thanks to the One who
granted all things good (Raz, 2005: 370).

Grace After Meals

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (2014) demonstrates how the Torah emphasizes the “centrality of

gratitude to the maintenance of social happiness over time.” The Torah states (Deuteronomy 8:

10-14):

And you shall eat and be satisfied, and you will bless the Lord your
God for the good land he gave you. Take heed lest you forget the
Lord your God . . . lest, when you eat and are satisfied, and have
built good houses and live in them, and your cattle and sheep
multiply, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you
have is multiplied, your heart will become haughty and you forget
the Lord your God who took you out of Egypt from the house of
slavery.

The command to recite the Grace after Meals is derived from the first verse, which

clearly indicates that one must “bless” the Lord for providing sustenance to all living things. In

the first blessing of the Grace after meals, God is thanked for providing “food to all living things,

for His kindness is eternal.”

Prayer

Many of the prayers we say are prayers of gratitude and teach us to be grateful to God for

everything. In fact, there is a blessing for almost every food, beverage, and fragrance. There are

blessings over performing the commandments such as affixing a mezuzah to the doorpost,

constructing a protective railing around the roof of one’s house, wearing new clothes, or taking

8
challah. There are blessings for good tidings and bad tidings. There are blessings over all kinds

of natural phenomena including lightning, thunder, trees blossoming, a rainbow, towering

mountains, and the ocean. A blessing is even said after relieving oneself. These blessings are

designed to train us to show gratitude to God. The Talmud avows that “The Temple service and

expressing thanks are one.” This is because expressing thanks to God is also a type of service to

the Almighty (Babylonian Talmud, Megillah 18a). The first prayer said upon awakening in the

morning is known as modeh ani which means “I gratefully thank you.” It is a prayer of

thanksgiving to God for the gift of life and a new day. The full prayer is: “I gratefully thank

You, everlasting King, for returning my soul within me with compassion. Great is Your

faithfulness.”

The Torah states (Deuteronomy 8:10): “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the

Lord, your God, for the good land that He gave you.” This is why there is an obligation to recite

the Grace After Meals. This is the first blessing of the Grace After Meals:

Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, who nourishes the
entire world, in His goodness – with grace, with kindness, and with mercy.
He gives nourishment to all flesh, for His kindness is eternal. And through
His great goodness, we have never lacked, and may we never lack,
nourishment, for all eternity. For the sake of His Great Name, because He
is God Who nourishes and sustains all, and benefits all, and He prepares
food for all of His creatures which He has created. Blessed are You, O
Lord, who nourishes all (Based on translation of ArtScroll).

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (2009) states the following about prayer quoting Maimonides.

The obligation of prayer is that every person should daily,

according to his ability, offer up supplication and prayer, first
uttering praises of God, then with humble supplication and
petition asking for all that he needs, and finally offering praise and
thanksgiving to the Eternal for the benefits already bestowed on
him in rich measure (Maimonides, Laws of Prayer 1:2).
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 The ‘Amidah, the central prayer of the Jewish daily liturgy, follows this pattern: praise

(shevach), request (bakashah), and acknowledgement/thanks (hodayah) (Sacks, 2009: xxiv).

Prayer, to a large degree, is about acknowledging and giving thanks for the good things in one’s

life. It is not only about asking for more. Lambert et al. (2009) provide empirical evidence that

prayer, even when decoupled from religion, leads to gratitude.

The first prayer recited in the morning upon waking up, Modeh Ani, is a prayer of

thanksgiving. We start the day thanking God for restoring our soul (Artscroll Siddur translation)

I gratefully thank You, O living and eternal King, for You have
mercifully returned my soul within me with compassion –
abundant is Your faithfulness.

The prayer Nishmat Kol Chai is recited on the Sabbath as part of the ‘verses of praise’ in

the morning service, and the Passover Seder.

Were our mouth as full of song as the sea, and our tongue as full of
jubilation as its myriad waves, if our lips were full of praise like the
spacious heavens, and our eyes shone like the sun and moon, and our
hands as outstretched as eagles of the sky, and our feet as swift as hinds –
we still could not thank You sufficiently, Lord our God and God of our
ancestors or bless Your name for even one of the thousand thousand,
thousands of thousands, and myriad myriads of favors You did for our
ancestors and us (Translation ArtScoll Siddur and Koren Siddur).

These lines from the prayer eloquently illustrate and give voice to the gratitude for daily

existence felt by a devout Jew. The author of this prayer uses the number 100 quintillion

(100,000,000,000, 000,000,000), a number difficult to comprehend, to describe the amount of

gratitude one must show for all the wonderful things done for us.

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Songs of Gratitude

One of the major songs of gratitude is the Song by the Sea after the great miracle of the

drowning of the Egyptians (Exodus 15). The song begins (Exodus 15: 1-2):

I shall sing to the Lord for He is highly exalted; the horse and its
rider he hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song,
and He has become a salvation for me. This is my God and I will
glorify Him; the God of my father and I will exalt Him.

The song concludes with Miriam, sister of Aaron and Moses, bringing together all the women

dancing with timbrels, and singing: “Sing to the Lord for He is highly exalted; the horse and its

rider he hurled into the sea.” What starts out as a song led by Moses turns into a joyous dance

singing God’s praises. Later (Numbers 21: 17-20), there is another less fiery song celebrating a

well dug by the princes.

In the Prophets section of the Bible referred to as Nevi’im, there are several notable

songs. Deborah’s song of praise after the defeat of Sisera, captain of King Jabin’s army, is an

ode of triumph (Judges 5). Hannah’s song in the book of Samuel I, is a prayer of gratitude for

giving birth to Samuel after having been barren. The following passage from I Samuel (2:6-8) is

part of Hannah’s song:

The Lord brings death and gives life; he brings down to the grave
and raises up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he humbles
and he exalts. He raises up the poor from the dirt; he lifts the needy
from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and endow them
with a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and
on them he has set the world.

In Samuel II, David sang in gratitude upon deliverance from his enemies, including his

father-in-law King Saul.

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 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my
rock in Whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my
salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior — from
violent people you save me. (II Samuel 22)

Singing songs of praise to God is not a trivial matter. The Talmud underscores

that King Hezekiah, who was a righteous king, could have been the Messiah. In his time,

Assyria invaded Israel and conquered the ten tribes that comprised the Northern Israelite

Kingdom. The Assyrians, led by King Sennacherib, then besieged Jerusalem in order to

conquer the remaining two tribes [known as the Kingdom of Judah or the Southern

Kingdom]. A miracle happened and a plague killed 185,000 of the Assyrian soldiers and

they retreated back to Assyria.

The verse states (Isaiah 9:6): To him who increases God’s authority; and
for him there shall be boundless peace.” Rabbi Tanchum said: “Bar
Kappara expounded this verse in Sepphoris as follows: Why is every letter
mem in the middle of a word open, whilst this one is closed? It is closed
because the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to make King Hezekiah the
Messiah, and make Sennacherib Gog and Magog; whereupon the Divine
Attribute of Justice said before the Holy One, blessed be He: 'Sovereign of
the Universe! If You did not make David the Messiah, who uttered so
many hymns and psalms before You, will You appoint Hezekiah as such,
who did not sing songs of gratitude to you in spite of all these miracles
which You performed for him?' Therefore it [the mem] was
closed. Straightway the earth exclaimed: 'Sovereign of the Universe! Let
me utter song before you instead of this righteous man [Hezekiah], and
make him the Messiah.' So it broke into song before Him, as it is written
(Isaiah 24:16), ‘From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs
[saying], Glory for the righteous’!” (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 94a;
based on translation of Soncino and ArtScroll).

12
Book of Psalms

The third section of the Hebrew Bible, Writings (Ketuvim), includes the book of Psalms.

The Hebrew word for the Book of Psalms is Tehillim, which means praises; it is a book of

praises of God. The psalmist affirms (Psalms 92:2): “It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord,

and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High.” Many of the Psalms are incorporated in the

liturgy. According to tradition, the Levites sang these Psalms in the Temple in Jerusalem. When

the Temple stood, there was a sacrifice known as Todah (thanksgiving offering). It was given if a

person survived a dangerous situation, illness, or the like. Some see Psalm 100 as a song of

gratitude that all of mankind will eventually sing to God.

A psalm of thanksgiving (Todah). Shout out praises to the Lord,

everyone on earth! Worship the Lord with joy! Enter his presence
with joyful singing! Acknowledge that the Lord is God! … Enter
His gates with thanksgiving, and His courtyard with praise!
(Psalm 100)

Psalm 23 below is arguably among the most renowned passages in Scripture. The Lord is

being compared to a shepherd who has a rod (i.e., crook) and staff and takes care of His flock.

Few phrases describe gratitude as eloquently as “My cup runneth over.”

A Psalm of David. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

He lays me down in green pastures. He leads me beside tranquil
waters. My soul He restores. He leads me on the path of tzedek
(usually translated as either righteousness or justice) for the sake
of His Name. Even though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your
rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before
me in the presence of my enemies: you anoint my head with oil;
my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and lovingkindness shall
follow me all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house
of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23: 1-6).

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 Psalms 113 – 118 comprise the song of praise known as Hallel which is recited on

festivals. This is an excerpt from Psalm 113.

He raises up the poor from the dust and lifts up the needy from
the dunghills, to seat them with the princes, with the princes of
their people. He returns the barren woman to her home as a
happy mother of children. Praise God! (Psalm 113: 7-9).
The Book of Psalms ends on a powerful note. In Psalm 150, the root word hallel (praise)

is used 13 times:

Praise God. Praise God in His sanctuary; praise God in the

firmament of His power. Praise Him for His mighty deeds; praise
Him according to the abundance of His greatness. Praise Him with
the blast of the shofar; praise Him with the lyre and harp. Praise
him with drum and dance; praise him with stringed instruments
and flute. Praise him on the loud cymbals: praise him with
clanging cymbals. Let every soul praise God. Praise God.

Appreciation for the Environment: Rules Against Waste

The Torah prohibits soldiers from cutting down fruit trees even when conducting a siege

of an enemy city (Deuteronomy 20:19). In the words of the Bible: “When you besiege a city a

long time, in making war against it to take it, do not destroy [tashchit] its trees by swinging an

axe against them.” The prohibition of not destroying fruit trees is extended by the Talmud to any

type of wasteful destruction. Likewise, wasteful destruction of any kind is seen as a violation of

Torah law (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbos 129a; Babylonian Talmud, Bava Kama 91b). This is a

prohibition against unnecessary destruction or waste, known as the principle of ba’al tashchit

(literally meaning “do not destroy”). The unnecessary destruction of useful objects indicates

ingratitude. In a similar vein, the Talmud has special rules for bread, the staff of life (Babylonian

Talmud, Berachos 50b) which must be treated respectfully. One is not permitted to throw food

14
around or treat it disrespectfully, to use it as a support for some object or as cutlery to eat

something else (Babylonian Talmud, Soferim 3:14). In fact, the Talmud states that people who

purposely step on bread will be punished with poverty (Babylonian Talmud, Chullin 105b). To

show ingratitude for something so vital to life, albeit inanimate, is contemptible behavior.

Appreciation for the Environment: Talmudic Parable

This parable from the Talmud demonstrates the great appreciation people should have for

the environment:

A man was journeying in the desert and was hungry, tired, and
thirsty. He found a tree with sweet fruits, pleasant shade, and a
stream of water flowing beneath it. He ate from its fruit, drank
from its stream, and sat in its shade. When he was ready to leave,
he said: Tree, tree, with what shall I bless you? Should I say to
you, ‘May your fruits be sweet?’ Your fruits are already sweet;
‘That your shade be pleasant?’ Your shade is already pleasant.
‘That a stream of water flow beneath you?’ A stream already
flows beneath you. Therefore, ‘May it be God’s will that all shoots
planted from you should be just like you’ (Babylonian Talmud,
Taanis 5b-6a).

Blessing on Good and Bad Tidings

Friedman, Birnbaum & Gloger (2014) examine the importance of happiness in Judaism.

They point out that the Talmud (Avos D’Rabbi Nosson 34:9) states that there are ten words in

Hebrew that mean happiness: simcha, sasson, gilah, rinah, ditzah, tzahala, ahliza, chedvah,

tiferet, and ahlitza. The Talmud (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbos 30b) affirms that the Divine

Presence (Shechinah) will only dwell upon individuals who are joyous. The only true joy comes

from performing a precept (e.g., saying a blessing or singing a song of thankfulness) and this is
15
the kind of happiness that matters. The Divine Presence cannot manifest itself on an individual

that is morose. This is why a person has to be optimistic, happy, and show gratitude. One way of

showing appreciation and gratitude is by making a blessing. There are blessings on food, drink,

and fragrances; blessings over precepts (e.g., affixing a mezuzah to a door); blessings over

phenomena and events (e.g., thunder, lightning, or seeing a rainbow). Jewish law requires that a

person make a blessing on good as well as bad tidings as the following Mishna indicates.

The blessing of good tidings is: “Blessed are You … Who is good and
does good.” On bad tidings, one says: “Blessed are you… the true
Judge.” … The Mishna then articulates a general principle: One is
obligated to recite a blessing for the bad that befalls him just as he recites
a blessing for the good that befalls him, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 6:5):
“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your
soul, and with all your resources (me’odecha).” The Mishna explains this
verse as follows: “With all your heart” means with your two inclinations,
with your good inclination and your evil inclination, both of which must
be subjugated to the love of God. With all your soul means even if God
takes your life. “And with all your resources” means with all your
wealth. Alternatively, it may be explained that “with all your
resources” means with every measure that He metes out to you; whether
it is good or bad, thank Him (Babylonian Talmud, Berachos 54a;
translation from Sefaria.org and ArtScroll).

Hidden Miracles

The sages believed that people are unaware of the many miracles done for them by God.

In fact, sometimes what appears to be bad luck (e.g., losing a job) turns out to be the best luck a

person will ever have.

R. Joseph expounded: What is the meaning of the verse (Isaiah 12:1), “I

will give thanks unto You, O Lord; for though You were angry with me,
Your wrath has subsided, and You have comforted me. The text alludes to
two men who set out on a trading venture when a thorn got into [the foot
of] one of them who began to blaspheme and to curse [because this
16
 accident delayed his journey]. After a time, however, when he heard that
his friend's ship had sunk into the sea he began to laud and praise God.
Thus it is written, 'Your wrath is subsided, and You have comforted me'.
This is indeed in line with what R. Eleazar stated: What is implied by the
verse (Psalms 72:18-19), “Blessed is God…Who alone does wondrous
things” and “Blessed be His glorious name forever.” Even the person for
whom a miracle is performed, is unaware of the miracle wrought for him
(Babylonian Talmud, Niddah 31a; translation based on Soncino and Bialik
& Ravnitzky (1992:511).

Good Guest vs. Bad Guest

The “good guest vs. bad guest” contrast might be a metaphor for humankind who are

God’s guests on this world (see commentary of Maharsha). Good people are grateful for

everything God has provided them; bad people are never happy with what they have and

constantly see what they do not have.

Ben Zoma would say: What does a good guest say? “How much effort did
the host expend on my behalf, how much meat did the host bring before
me. How much wine did he bring before me. How many loaves [geluskaot]
did he bring before me. All the effort that he expended, he expended only
for me.” What, however, does a bad guest say? “What effort did the host
expend? I ate only one piece of bread, I ate only one piece of meat and I
drank only one cup of wine. All the effort that the home owner expended
he only expended on behalf of his wife and children.
With regard to a good guest, what does Scripture say (Job 36:24)?
“Remember so that you extol His works, of which men sing.” With regard
to a bad guest it is written (Job 37:24): “People therefore fear him; he
regards not any who are wise of heart” (Babylonian Talmud, Berachos 58a;
based on translation by Sefaria.org).

The verse used in Job 36:24 is actually referring to God. Good people who show

gratitude to God for providing for their needs will also praise their hosts. Ingrates will show

ingratitude to God and man.

17
Nachum Ish Gamzu and Rabbi Akiva: Eternal Optimists

This story from the Talmud is about Nachum Ish Gamzu who was the perpetual optimist

and always showed gratitude for everything. He was from a town called Gizmo but was called

Gam Zu for the reason given in the story. The word ish means man.

Nachum ish Gamzu was called gamzu because no matter what happened
to him he would say gam zu latovah [this too is for the good]. One time
the Jews desired to send a gift to the emperor. They decided that Nachum
of Gamzu should go because miracles often happened to him. They sent
him with a chest full of precious stones and jewels. On the way, he spent
the night in a certain inn. During the night, the innkeepers emptied the
chest and filled it with earth. In the morning, when Nachum discovered
what had happened he exclaimed: This too is for the good.

When he arrived at the palace and they saw that he had brought a chest filled
with earth, the emperor wanted to have all the Jews killed. They are
mocking me, he declared. Nachum exclaimed: This too is for the good.

Elijah appeared in the guise of one of the officers, and said: Perhaps, this
earth is the miraculous earth used by their patriarch Abraham; when he
threw earth at his enemies it changed into swords and when he threw straw
it changed into arrows. Indeed, it is written (Isaiah 41:2): ‘He made his
sword like dust, his bow as the driven straw.’ Now, here was a country
which they were unable to conquer but when they used this earth against it
they prevailed. They took Rabbi Nachum to the treasury, filled his chest
with precious stones and jewels and sent him home with great honor.

On his return journey, he spent the night in the same inn. The innkeepers
asked Rabbi Nachum what he brought to the emperor that so much honor
was shown to him. He replied: What I took from here, I brought there.
They tore down their inn and brought the earth to the emperor and stated:
The earth that was brought to you came from us. They tested the earth and
found it to be ordinary earth and they executed the innkeepers (Babylonian
Talmud, Taanis 21a).

18
 Rabbi Akiva also felt that a person should always be accustomed to say:

“Whatever the Merciful One does, He does for the best.” The following story is used to

prove this point.

Like this incident, when Rabbi Akiva was traveling along the road and
reached a certain city. He inquired about lodging but no one provided him
any. He said: “Whatever the Merciful One does, He does for the best.” He
went and slept in a field, and he had with him a rooster, a donkey and a
lamp. During the night, a gust of wind came and extinguished the lamp; a
cat came and ate the rooster; and a lion came and ate the donkey. He said:
“Whatever the Merciful One does, He does for the best.” That very night,
an army came and sacked the city. [Thus, Rabbi Akiva , who was not in
the city and had no lit lamp, noisy rooster, or donkey to betray his
location, was saved.] He said to them [those who were accompanying
him]: Did I not I tell you? “Whatever the Merciful One does, He does for
the best.” (Babylonian Talmud, Berachos 60b; translation based on
ArtScroll).

Another famous story involving Rabbi Akiva.

On another occasion, Rabban Gamliel, Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria, Rabbi

Joshua and Rabbi Akiva went up to Jerusalem. When they came to Mt.
Scopus, they tore their garments. When they came to the Temple Mount,
they saw a fox emerging from the place of the Holy of Holies. The others
started weeping; Rabbi Akiva laughed. They said to him: "Why are you
laughing?" He replied to them: "Why are you weeping?" They said to him:
"A place so holy that about which it is written (Numbers 1:51), 'the non-
priest that approaches it shall die,' and now foxes prowl over it, and we
should not weep?" He replied: "That is why I laugh. For it is written
(Isaiah 8:2), 'I appointed trustworthy witnesses for Myself, Uriah the
Priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.' Now what is the connection
between Uriah and Zechariah? Uriah prophesied in the time of the First
Temple, whereas Zechariah prophesied in the time of the Second Temple!
Rather, by connecting them, Scripture makes Zachariah's prophecy
dependent upon Uriah's prophecy. In the prophecy of Uriah, it is written
(Micah 3:12): 'Therefore, because of you, Zion shall be plowed as a field;
Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the Temple Mount like stone heaps in
the forest.' In the prophecy of Zachariah it is written (Zechariah 8:4), 'Old
men and women shall yet sit in the streets of Jerusalem.' "As long as
Uriah's prophecy had not been fulfilled, I feared that Zechariah's prophecy
may not be fulfilled either. But now that Uriah's prophecy has been
19
 fulfilled, it is certain that Zechariah's prophecy will be fulfilled." With
these words they replied to him: "Akiva, you have consoled us! Akiva,
you have consoled us!" (Babylonian Talmud, Maakos 24b; based on
translations of Soncino and ArtScroll).

Rabbi Akiva, a strong supporter of Bar Kochba, was executed by the Romans

after the Bar Kochba rebellion. The same story is told in Talmud Yerushalmi, (Jerusalem

Talmud, Berachos 9:5). In that version of the story, Rabbi Akiva was laughing while

being tortured. He was happy because he was finally able to fulfill the precept of loving

God with all his soul.

When R. Akiva was taken out for execution, it was the time for the recital
of the Shema, and while they combed his flesh with iron combs, he was
accepting upon himself the kingship of heaven. His disciples said to him:
“Our teacher, even to this extent?” He said to them: “All my days I have
been troubled by this verse, 'with all your soul', which I interpret to mean,
'even if He takes your soul'. I said: “When shall I have the opportunity of
fulfilling this? Now that I have the opportunity shall I not fulfill it?” Rabbi
Akiva prolonged the word echad [meaning one] until he expired while
saying it. A Heavenly voice [bath kol] went forth and proclaimed: “Happy
art you, Rabbi Akiva, that your soul has departed with the word echad!”
The ministering angels said before the Holy One, blessed be He: “This is
the Torah, and this is the reward? [He should have been] from those that
die by Your hand, O Lord.” [i.e., die of old age; the angels were quoting
Psalms 17:14]. God replied to them: “Their portion is eternal life.” A
Heavenly voice proclaimed: “Happy are you, R. Akiva, that you are
destined for the life in the World to Come” (Babylonian Talmud, Berachos
61b; based on translation by Soncino and ArtScroll).

The verse states (Deuteronomy 6:5): “And you shall love the Lord, your God, with all

your heart and with all your soul and with all your resources.” The verse that ends with echad is

in Deuteronomy (6:4): “Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one [echad].” Rabbi Akiva

died around 136 CE. teaching monotheism so it was appropriate that he died with this verse on

his lips. However, Rabbi Akiva’s legacy would live on through his five great disciples: Rabbi
20
Meir, Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Yosi, Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Elazar b. Shamua (Babylonian

Talmud, Yevamos 62b).

Gratitude, Happiness and Mental Health

The discipline of psychology was transformed in 1998 when, Martin Seligman, in his

presidential address to the American Psychological Association, advised researchers to try a new

approach and focus on human virtues and strengths such as happiness. He declared that mental

health is about considerably more than having “no mental disease.” A new movement was

created, positive psychology. The value of positive psychology is that it deals with promoting

mental health rather than treating mental illness. Seligman's solution for fighting unhappiness

with the past is “that which we commonly and curiously find among the wisdom of the ages:

gratitude and forgiveness” (Seligman, 2017). According to Seligman (2004), it is possible to

teach people to be happy since only about 50% of happiness is genetic. About 12% is due to

factors that individuals can control. Significant factors that affect happiness are “faith, family,

community, and work” (Brooks, 2013). The principles of positive psychology have been used at

several schools throughout the world, such as Geelong Grammar School in Australia, to teach

young people well-being and thus increase life satisfaction. This has the potential to slow down

the huge increase in depression and enhance learning (Seligman et al, 2009; Seligman, 2012: 78-

98).

There is a growing body of research showing a significant relationship between gratitude

and happiness (Emmons, 2013; Emmons, 2008). The literature demonstrates that, “gratitude is

related to healthy psychological and social functioning in youth as it is with adults” (Froh &

21
Bono, 2011). Showing gratitude for what one has is a way of increasing personal happiness, this

drives the individual to focus on the positive, rather than the negative. People who demonstrate

gratitude are not only happier but are also healthier. Gratitude has been shown to improve

emotional health and even strengthen relationships between couples (Gordon, 2013). Leaders of

organizations who practice gratitude can benefit an entire organization (Kerns, 2006). It does

not cost anything for an employer to say “thank you” for a job well done.

The many potential positive effects and benefits of gratitude on individuals and society,

in the school, workplace and daily life, have been documented in the literature (Lambert, 2007).

There is evidence that teenagers that grow up showing gratitude are happier, less likely to suffer

from depression and abuse illegal drugs, and have fewer problems at school (Froh and Bono,

2011; Bono, 2012); gratitude also provides physical and mental health benefits to adults

(Lambert.et al., 2009). Krause (2009) draws attention to the “potential stress-buffering

properties of gratitude,” in the religious Christian context.

Teaching children the importance of gratitude appears to enhance learning and reduce the

prevalence of mental health problems such as depression. Every parent should teach children at

an early age to show gratitude and to say thank you. Approximately one out of eight teenagers

suffer from depression (Levin, 2009:8) and one in ten people worldwide suffer from depression

(Helliwell, Layard, and Sachs, 2013: 4). Applying gratitude to daily interactions, “helps people

form, maintain, and strengthen supportive relationships, but it also helps them feel connected to a

caring community which values their contributions” (Froh & Bono, 2011). The role of gratitude

in healthy psychological functioning helps to reduce envy, depression, and materialism (Froh &

Bono, 2011). Early intervention to prevent depression is obviously preferable to later

22
remediation involving drugs and extensive therapy sessions. Amin (2014) lists 31 benefits that

result from gratitude.

Seligman (2004) makes showing gratitude a key part of his seminar on positive

psychology. Seligman reasons that showing gratitude “amplifies satisfaction about the past.” One

of the most popular courses ever taught at Harvard was taught by Tal Ben Shahar. It covers the

uses the principles of positive psychology and focuses on happiness (Goldberg, 2006; Lambert,

2007). One of the ideas taught in the course is: “Express gratitude, whenever possible. We too

often take our lives for granted. Learn to appreciate and savor the wonderful things in life, from

people to food, from nature to a smile” (Goldberg, 2006). Writing a gratitude journal, writing

down things for which one is grateful, can boost one’s happiness (Ben Shahar, 2010). According

to Emmons (2008), practicing gratitude can enhance one’s happiness by 25%.

The following are Tal Ben-Shahar’s “Seven Steps to Happiness”

(1) Give yourself permission to be human. When we accept emotions as

natural, we are more likely to overcome them. Rejecting our emotions,
positive or negative, leads to frustration and unhappiness. We are a culture
obsessed with pleasure and believe that the mark of a worthy life is the
absence of discomfort. When we experience pain, we take it to indicate
that something must be wrong with us. In fact, there is something wrong
with us if we don’t experience sadness or anxiety at times. When we give
ourselves permission to experience painful emotions, we are more likely
to open ourselves up to positive emotions.

(2) Happiness lies at the intersection between pleasure and meaning.

Whether at work or at home, the goal is to engage in activities that are
both personally significant and enjoyable. When this is not feasible, make
sure you have happiness boosters, moments throughout the week that
provide you with both pleasure and meaning. Research shows that an hour
or two of a meaningful and pleasurable experience can affect the quality of
an entire day, or even a whole week.

23
 (3) Keep in mind that happiness is mostly dependent on our state of mind,
not on our status or our bank account. Barring extreme circumstances, our
level of well-being is determined by what we choose to focus on and by
our interpretation of external events. Do we focus on the empty part of the
full part of the glass? Do we view failures as catastrophic, or do we see
them as learning opportunities?

(4) Simplify! We are generally too busy, trying to squeeze in more and
more activities into less and less time. Quantity influences quality, and we
compromise on our happiness by trying to do too much. Knowing when to
say “no” to others often means saying “yes” to ourselves.

(5) Remember the mind-body connection. What we do — or don’t do —

with our bodies influences our mind. Regular exercise, adequate sleep and
healthy eating habits lead to both physical and mental health.

(6) Express gratitude, whenever possible. We too often take our lives for
granted. Learn to appreciate and savor the wonderful things in life, from
people to food, from nature to a smile.

(7) The number one predictor of happiness is the time we spend with
people we care about and who care about us. The most important source of
happiness may be the person sitting next to you. Appreciate them; savor
the time you spend together (Leichman, 2012).

Conclusion

This paper demonstrates the importance of gratitude in Judaism. Moreover, one has to

develop this trait by showing thankfulness to everything in the world, not just human beings.

One who does not show gratitude to people, will eventually not show gratitude to God. The

Talmud appreciates the importance of gratitude and states “Whoever sings a song of praise to

God in this world will merit to sing it in the world to come” (Rabbi Yehoshua b. Levi,

Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 91b). Rabbi Sacks (2009: 975) observes that “Bereft of a sense

of gratitude and of a power higher than humans, nations like individuals eventually decay.” The

Torah warns against saying (Deuteronomy 8:17): “My strength and the might of my hand have

24
made me all this wealth.” This kind of self-absorption, narcissism, and ingratitude can only lead

to disaster. The Bible, Rabbinic literature, holiday celebrations, and the liturgy instill the core

value of happiness through gratitude. Gratitude is a powerful tool that produces happiness and

one who has not developed the trait of thankfulness will find it difficult to be happy.

Moreover, gratitude to God strengthens one’s spirituality which is also linked to

happiness (Krause, 2009). In fact, the world achieves perfection when every soul expresses

gratitude to God for all He has done. This also means expressing gratitude to people as well as

inanimate objects. Expressing gratitude to God and hating his creations makes no sense. Indeed,

Rabbi Yehoshua states that an evil eye (the inability to rejoice when others prosper, ill will, and

greed), evil passion (lusting after physical pleasures), and hatred of other people “remove a

person from the world” (Avos 2:16). All three traits are connected to being selfish and self-

absorbed (Herford, 1962: 57). This is definitely not the kind of person who can show

thankfulness to others. The Talmud (Babylonian Talmud, Kethubos 53a) asserts that the

punishment for being an ingrate is described in the verse (Proverbs 17:13): “He who repays evil

for good, evil shall not depart from his house.” A good person, on the other hand, knows that

[Psalms 92:2-3; based on translation of Sacks (2009)]: “It is good to thank the Lord and sing

psalms to Your name, Most High. To tell of Your loving-kindness in the morning and Your

faithfulness at night.”

25
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