Daily Hakarat HaTov#14

It is hard to feel grateful to a universe that came into existence for no reason and is blind to us and our fate. It is precisely our faith in a personal G-d that gives force and focus to our thanks.Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

Daily Hakarat HaTov#13

Part of the essence of gratitude is that it recognizes that we are not the sole authors of what is good in our lives.Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

Daily Hakarat HaTov#12

Jewish prayer is an ongoing seminar in gratitude. Birkot ha-Shachar, ‘the Dawn Blessings’ said at the start of morning prayers each day, form a litany of thanksgiving for life itself: for the human body, the physical world, land to stand on and eyes to see with. The first words we say each morning – Modeh/Modah ani, “I thank you” – mean that we begin each day by giving thanks.- Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

Daily Hakarat HaTov#11

How can we begin to thank Hashem for all He does for us, for every atom in our body. Chazal teach us that kol haneshama tehalel Kah, can be read as kol haneshima - with every breath I inhale I must thank Hashem. We are so accustomed for all that Hashem does for us that we are unable to appreciate how much thanks we owe him.(HaRav Avigdor Nebenzahl)

Daily Hakarat HaTov#10

The Chovot HaLevavot explains using the following comparison: a generous family took in an orphaned little boy, raised him, fed him, paid for his education and gave him all his needs for many years. At the same time, they took a poor adult who had been imprisoned and cared for him until he was able to get back on his feet. The Chovot HaLevavot asks: which of the two will have greater hakarat hatov? The Chovot HaLevavot answers that the former prisoner will have more gratitude than the child, why is this so? The prisoner was taken out of prisoner as an adult when he was able to appreciate all that had been done for him. The child, on the other hand, grew up in the benevolent person's home, he never knew any better. He was given food, education, and all his needs just as any other child was - it all came naturally, he is therefore less grateful.(HaRav Avigdor Nebenzahl)

Daily Hakarat HaTov#9

"A new king arose over Egypt who did not know of Yoseph" (Shmot 1:8). Our Sages ask: can it be that he did not know of Yoseph? Even if he were a new king, did he not have some basic knowledge of Egyptian history? What the Torah means is that he knew who Yoseph was, but he did not WANT to know who he was! He lacked hakarat hatov for all that Yoseph had done for the Egyptian people. Chazal comment: "today he does not know Yoseph, tomorrow, he is destined to say 'I do not know Hashem'!" (Shmot 5:2) (Shmot Rabbah Parsha 1). This means that one who lacks hakarat hatov for his fellow human being will eventually deny the good Hashem has done for him.(HaRav Avigdor Nebenzahl)

Daily Hakarat HaTov#8

When you open up to the trait of gratitude, you see clearly how much good there is in your life. Gratitude affirms. Of course there will be things you are still lacking, and in reaching for gratitude no one is saying you ought to put on rose-colored glasses to obscure those shortcomings. But most of us tend to focus so heavily on the deficiencies in our lives that we barely perceive the good that counterbalances them.(jewishpathways.com)