With Thanksgiving around the corner, it’s safe to say one word is on everyone’s mind: thanks.
Of course, Judaism has been in the business of gratitude long before the holiday came around. Every morning, before we even open our eyes fully, the first words we say are Modeh Ani, “I thank You.” Before we check the news or reach for coffee, we take a moment to thank G-d simply for giving us life.
Throughout the day, our prayers carry that same theme. We thank G-d for food, for health, clothing and for freedom. But there’s something deeper here that often goes unnoticed. Gratitude in Judaism doesn’t only appear in our prayers, it’s built into our blessings.
There are three main types of blessings in Jewish life.
First, there are blessings for mitzvot, such as before eating matzah or lighting Shabbat candles.
Second, there are blessings for enjoyment, before eating an apple, drinking coffee or smelling something fragrant.
And then there’s a third category that many don’t realize exists: blessings of thanks.
Think of Birkat Hamazon, the Grace After Meals, which we recite after eating. Think of the morning blessings where we thank G-d for clothing the naked and giving strength to the weary. Or the wellknown Shehecheyanu blessing that we say on holidays or at special occasions: “Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, who has given us life, sustained us and allowed us to reach this season.” That’s pure gratitude.
But here’s the question. What does blessing have to do with thanks? Why does it have to be a blessing? What’s wrong with simply saying “thank you?” And what does it even mean to bless G-d?
If a friend does me a favor, I’ll thank them and maybe bless them, wish them happiness or good health. But those are two separate things. First, I express gratitude, then I offer a blessing. How does that make sense when we’re speaking to G-d?
Here is where Hebrew helps us. The word Baruch, “blessed,” doesn’t mean we’re giving something to G-d. It means “to draw down.”
When we bless G-d, we’re not creating anything new. We’re drawing divine awareness into our lives and making his presence real and tangible. We’re taking a spiritual truth and allowing it to enter our everyday consciousness.
That’s what makes a blessing of thanks so powerful. It’s not just about feeling grateful in the moment. It’s about anchoring that momentary excitement into our reality. When we say Baruch Atah Hashem, we’re really saying, “G-d, I’m bringing you into my life. I recognize and am grateful that everything in my life comes from you.”
When we live with that awareness, life feels different. Gratitude stops being a passing emotion and becomes a way of seeing. We notice G-d’s hand in everything, the big gifts and the small ones.
So as Thanksgiving approaches, take a moment not just to say thank you, but to make it a blessing. Let your gratitude become an invitation to feel and see G-d in every part of your life, not just once a year, but every day, in every meal, in every breath.
Maybe this year, after the turkey and pumpkin pie are cleared away, gather your family and say the blessing of the Grace After Meals.
This will make sure thanksgiving is not just a day on the calendar, or something we say once in a while, but an awareness we live with every moment.
The Rabbinically Speaking column is provided as a public service by the Jewish Press. Columns are assigned on a rotating basis by the Pinellas County Board of Rabbis. The views expressed in this guest column are those of the rabbi and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Jewish Press or the Board of Rabbis.
