Let My People Know

"We thank You for inspiring us to thank You."

 

The Almighty does not "need" our thanksgiving. 

It is we who benefit from feeling and expressing it. 

Our Jewish liturgy contains a seldom-noticed prayer, hidden within a prayer, which acknowledges this. 

The phrase appears at a high point in the service, yet it is said to oneself: 

"We thank You for inspiring us to thank You." 

This goes well beyond being thankful for our objective gifts. 

It is a recognition that even the ability to know that we should be grateful is a gift from God and worthy of thanks.

–Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz

From the essay, "Thankful for Thanksgiving" by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz