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With all of the economic gloom swirling around us, it’s easy for us to lose sight of the enormous ברכות – blessings which we experience every day, be they in the form of good health, loving family, helping friends or the magnificent world of creation that surrounds us. Just as Sukkot emphasizes the gratitude which we should feel for all that Ha’Shem has given us, so the approach of the Thanksgiving holiday provides a wonderful opportunity for all of us to make a special effort to raise the consciousness of our children to the true meaning of the mida of הכרת הטוב - gratitude for all that we have, gratitude to all those who help make our lives so meaningful. Across the grades at Moriah, teachers have been devoting time to this important mida within our larger ברית מדות – Covenant of Ethics and I would like to share with you some ideas of things which you can do at home to expand upon and strengthen this beautiful Jewish ethical value. 1. We want to enable our children to be sensitive to, recognize and be appreciative of acts of kindness – חסד. The Shabbat table is a wonderful time to ask each person to share something that happened in the past week (or in general) for which they are grateful. 2. Read to your children a story about some actual act of kindness which someone did for someone else (could be a news item), or read them a story that emphasizes the importance of gratitude and acts of kindness. I have suggested to the faculty two books in particular that contain some wonderful material: Chicken Soup for the Soul (any of the many editions now available) and Small Miracles: Extraordinary Coincidences from Everyday Life, by Yitta Halberstam and Judith Leventhal. 3. Have every family member take a few minutes to write a letter or card to someone or call someone to express his/her gratitude and appreciation for something that that person might have done or said that meant a lot to him/her. If it’s in writing, have each family member read to the others what s/he wrote. As with any and all moral behaviors, our children need to see us, the adults, modeling the behaviors we want them to exhibit. 4. Decide together as a family on some community/tzedakah service project that you’d all like to do as a means of expressing your collective gratitude for the brachot we enjoy (donating food to local food banks, contributing to the Chanuakh toy drive at Moriah, donating clothes to organizations that collect clothing… the list is endless) 5. Discuss as a family one or two things which all of you could do to help protect the environment and thereby concretize your appreciation for the beautiful world which Ha’Shem has created. May we all be blessed with the זכות to raise children who know how to appreciate all that they enjoy in this world, children who know how to express their gratitude, and children who, through הכרת הטוב and many other midot, will make a difference in bringing our world one step closer to redemption.
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