It all started back in the year 1621. The Pilgrims, who had settled at the Plymouth Plantation, had just had a successful growing season and wanted to express their thanks. The small group of settlers gathered together and celebrated with a harvest feast where they offered prayers of thanks, and thus the first Thanksgiving took place. Today, almost 400 years later, this tradition has evolved into one of the most celebrated days on the calendar. While the original Thanksgiving celebration was essentially an occasion for expressing thanks to G-d, today’s Thanksgiving Day has become more of a civic tradition and secular holiday. In contrast to the first celebration, where the attendance was somewhat limited, this year there will be an estimated 42.5 million people traveling to spend the day with far-flung family and friends, and untold millions more who are also celebrating Thanksgiving Day at home.

 From the Jewish perspective, the concept of acknowledging G-d and giving thanks for everything is of paramount importance. We find this idea everywhere in Judaism. Upon arising in the morning, the first thing we do is say "Modeh Ani Lifanecha..." – I thank You (G-d) for allowing me to wake up once again and for restoring my soul to me. Later in the formal morning prayers, and again in the afternoon and evening prayers, we say "Modim Anachnu Lach...” –  thank You (G-d) ...for our lives...forYour miracles that are with us every day, and for Your wonders and favors in every season and at all times –evening, morning and afternoon. We express our thanks after eating, after emerging from potentially dangerous situations, and even after emerging from the rest room. Even our national identity reflects this idea, as the Hebrew word for Jews is "Yehudim," from the root word of “thanks.” The Torah tells us that our matriarch Leah named her fourth son Yehudah, from the singular form of the same root word, meaning "an expression of thanks."

 However, as we all know, saying words of thanks is one thing, but being truly grateful and appreciative of everything that G-d has blessed us with is quite another thing. Unfortunately, it is human nature to take things for granted if they happen frequently, or at least in some type of predictable pattern. And so although intellectually we should be walking around with true heartfelt words of thanks to G-d constantly on our lips, emotionally we have become somewhat complacent and don’t have a constant awareness of endless gratitude to Him. It is only when we have, G-d forbid, experienced some threat and emerged unscathed, that we suddenly regain our sensitivity and senses, and can once again offer heartfelt words of thanks.

Although feeling a constant sense of true gratitude may require a very lofty level of spirituality, we can all try to achieve some level of success in this area. We are all capable of expressing true heartfelt hanks to G-d, if only we would take a few minutes to stop, focus and think about all that we really have to be thankful for. All those things that we take for granted should be appreciated, instead. And certainly all the "extras" that we have are precious gifts that we must acknowledge.  

 In this week’s Torah portion, Parshas Toldos, we find that Yitzchok (Isaac) dug anew the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, and he (Yitzchok) called them by the same names that his father had called them. The commentaries explain that there is a lot more going on here than just a story about re-digging wells and recounting their names. The Torah is teaching us something about traditions and their transmission. Yitzchok, the son, was following in the traditions of his father, Abraham. Yitzchok, although a unique individual with unique talents of his own, nevertheless followed the traditions of his father. Just as his father dug and named the wells, so did he. And just as his father Abraham became the first Jew by recognizing his Creator and constantly calling out in the name of G-d, teaching everyone that G-d is the source of all blessings for which must truly acknowledge, praise and thank Him, so too Yitzchok, the son, continued the tradition.  

As we enter this Thanksgiving Day weekend, let us all take the opportunity to pause and reflect on all that we have to be thankful for. And then let us express true thanks and praise to G-d for anything and everything. As Americans, we can trace this concept back several hundreds of years. As Jews, we look back not only thousands of years, but back to the Torah itself to discover our own tradition of giving thanks.