I’m visiting family in New York this week. We drove out to Long Island to show our daughters where their mother grew up. We stopped at a farmstand and bought some corn and tomatoes. Long Island sweet corn is simply magnificent—and I say this as someone who grew up in Nebraska.
Savoring the corn I thought of this week’s Torah portion where we are commanded:
“When you have eaten your fill, give thanks to the Eternal your God for the good land which God has given you.” (Deut. 8:10)
It’s a simple lesson about gratitude. Food is a blessing—after you enjoy it, remember to give thanks. It’s a reminder too that so much of what we experience in this world comes to us not because we deserve it but, because we are lucky—as a gift.
There is goodness all around. Give thanks for the sweet corn and the luscious red tomatoes. Give thanks for health and friendship and love. Give thanks for the other blessings we receive, each and every day. Most of what’s good in our lives comes as a gift—not because we earned it or deserve it but because we are lucky.
Thank you God for all the gifts You share.
— Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback
Click here to listen to “Thank You God” by Rabbi Yoshi’s band, Mah Tovu
