By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel
CHULA VISTA, California — As we gather to celebrate Thanksgiving, let’s pause for a moment to reflect on an unlikely source of wisdom – an episode from The Simpsons. In one memorable scene, Bart Simpson offers a dinner-time “prayer” that goes: “Dear Lord, we bought this food with our own money; so thanks for nothing.”
Many people found Bart’s prayer amusing, if not irreverent. But his cheeky comment paradoxically invites us to consider the deeper meaning of gratitude and the nature of our thankfulness.
What exactly should we be thankful for?
Perhaps more importantly, what are the things that prevent us from experiencing thankfulness?
Let me illustrate with a story: “A man goes to a bakery and complains, ‘Every time I buy a bagel from here, there’s a hole in it!’ The baker smiles and replies, with a twinkle in his eye, responds, ‘Ah, Moishe, that’s our secret recipe for air conditioning! And don’t worry, we don’t charge extra for it.'”
Now, this joke might bring a chuckle, but it also brings us to an important perspective as we delve into our message for today. It’s about focusing on the hole in the bagel. Often in life, we, like the man in the joke, get fixated on what’s missing – the holes in our lives. We dwell so much on the absent parts that we fail to appreciate the bagel itself – the substance and blessings that we do have.
This light-hearted story brings us to a profound truth about Thanksgiving and the experience of the Pilgrims. When the Pilgrims celebrated their first Thanksgiving, they were not only celebrating the harvest but also expressing gratitude in spite of the ‘holes’ in their experience – the hardships, the losses, and the uncertainties they faced in the New World.
The Pilgrims’ journey to America was filled with challenges. Much like focusing on the hole in the bagel, they could have easily dwelled on the scarcity and difficulties they encountered. Yet, they chose to celebrate the harvest, to focus on the abundance they had found in their new land. This first Thanksgiving was a testament to their resilience and their ability to find gratitude amidst adversity.
In Judaism, there’s a saying in the Talmud, “Who is rich? He who is happy with his lot” (Pirkei Avot 4:1). This wisdom resonates deeply with the spirit of Thanksgiving. It’s about recognizing the fullness of our lives, even when there are ‘holes’, or missing pieces. It’s about finding joy and gratitude in what we do have – the ‘bagel’ – the blessings, the opportunities, and the hope that surrounds us.
Thanksgiving reminds us that we should never take for granted of the blessings that surround us daily.
All of us can recall how the supply chain became disrupted during the Covid pandemic. For the first time in recent memory since the Great Depression, the shelves in our supermarkets were empty.
We saw how the disruption of the supply chain completely turned our society upside down. People began to worry about food and survival.
A Muslim leader, Omar Ricci, expressed his perspective on the pandemic saying, “Thank God for the coronavirus. Thank God for reminding us that we are not in control and must always rely on God. Thank God for reminding us to appreciate the small things – groceries, toilet paper, good health. Thank God for reminding us of life’s fragility, nudging us to value the miracle and blessing of our existence as souls.”
Many of us can likely identify with this feeling, particularly considering something as simple yet indispensable as toilet paper. The thought of life without it is difficult to fathom! Historical figures like Moses, Buddha, Jesus, and Mohammed would likely have considered it worth its weight in gold. The notion of appreciating these minor, often overlooked conveniences, as Ricci suggested, resonates with us.
The good news is that we survived that dreadful chapter of our recent American history.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let’s remember the Pilgrims and their legacy of gratitude. They remind us to appreciate our blessings, both big and small. The ‘holes’ in our lives – the challenges and struggles – are part of our journey, but they don’t define the entirety of our experience.
So, when we sit down for our Thanksgiving meals, let us be thankful not just for the food on our tables, but for the love in our hearts, the company we share; let us be thankful for the abundance that fills our lives in a myriad of ways we sometimes overlook.
May this Thanksgiving fill your hearts with gratitude and joy, reminding you of the richness of your lives, beyond the ‘holes’ of challenges and trials.
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Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel is spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in Chula Vista. He may be contacted via michael.samuel@sdjewishworld.com