"Jews say grace at the end of the meal. I do not feel we are less thankful than those who say it at the beginning."
Blessings to the commenter who pointed this out. I did not mean to make a statement of superiority, like saying grace before a meal gives me the moral high ground. It was an analogy, and all of them break down at a point.
Rituals of thankfulness are not locked in stone. I may give thanks before the meal, or after. I may say a blessing over the children as they leave the house, or as they return. I may express my gratitude in the morning as I rise, or in the evening as I fall into my bed.
I was simply challenging myself to examine my own routines and understand where I am so abysmally lacking in gratitude. Where I am so prone to attach requirements to a situation, in order to be thankful. I am the child that says, "And if the food is yucky, we don't have to say grace!"
....which doesn't sound anything like this beautiful Jewish blessing I found in my searching.
"Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who, in His goodness, provides sustenance for the entire world with grace, with kindness, and with mercy. He gives food to all flesh, for His kindness is everlasting. Through His great goodness to us continuously we do not lack food, and may we never lack food, for the sake of His great Name. For He, benevolent God, provides nourishment and sustenance for all, does good to all, and prepares food for all His creatures whom He has created, as it is said: You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. Blessed are You, Lord, who provides food for all."
I could certainly benefit from a recitation of such a prayer at the end of all my meals.
1 comment:
No problem and no offense taken on this side. Many of us sing this grace, and it's one of my favorite pieces of being Jewish -- but it also doesn't make us any more thankful.
My own thought on this -- reading about how people interact around the giving of Halloween candy made me think that there are so many "rules" around giving and receiving. The main thing I want to be thankful for is that G-d remembers to give to me every day even when I am not remembering to be thankful.
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