{"id":98121,"date":"2022-11-19T23:09:40","date_gmt":"2022-11-19T21:09:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/?p=98121"},"modified":"2022-11-19T23:09:40","modified_gmt":"2022-11-19T21:09:40","slug":"gratitude","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/en\/gratitude\/","title":{"rendered":"Gratitude"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cA new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Yosef\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

(Shemot<\/em> 1:8)<\/p>\n

Didn\u2019t the Egyptians remember the kindnesses of Yosef? Certainly they did, but they did not act appropriately. Instead of displaying gratitude, they denied what he had done. Eventually, Pharaoh denied Hashem\u2019s kindnesses, as well, as the pasuk states, \u201cI do not know Hashem.\u201d From here we learn that ingratitude is equivalent to apostasy. Hashem tells Bnei Yisrael, \u201cBeware not to be ungrateful, for an ingrate cannot accept Divine authority\u201d (Mishnat Rabbi Eliezer<\/em>, Parashah<\/em> 7).<\/p>\n

\u201cDo not throw stones into a well from which you drank water\u201d (Bava Kama<\/em> 92b). Rashi explains that one should not ridicule anything that ever served him. This is a warning to a person not to inflict pain upon one who benefitted him (Shita Mekubetzet<\/em>).<\/p>\n

This can be compared to one who stoned the king\u2019s friend. The king ordered that he should be beheaded, as he feared for his own life. Therefore, the words \u201cwho did not know Yosef\u201d are stated regarding Pharaoh. After not remembering Yosef, the representative of Hashem, he was liable to forget Hashem Himself (Shemot Rabbah<\/em>, Parashat Shemot<\/em> 1).<\/p>\n

In the future, all expressions of thanks will be annulled, but the thanksgiving sacrifice will never be annulled (Vayikra Rabbah<\/em>, Emor<\/em>, Parashah<\/em> 27:12).<\/p>\n

\u201cMoshe sent them\u201d (Bamidbar<\/em> 31:6). Hashem had commanded Moshe to take revenge against the Midianites, but Moshe sent others to do the job. Why? Since he had grown up in Midian, Moshe felt that he could not fight against those who had benefitted him, as we are told, \u201cDo not throw stones into a well from which you drank water\u201d (Yalkut Shimoni<\/em>, Matot<\/em>, Remez<\/em> 785).<\/p>\n

The Ri Ibn Migash<\/em>, z\u201dl, related that his mentor, the Rif<\/em>, z\u201dl, was once ill. Someone allowed him to use his bath, and he enjoyed it very much. The man invited him to stay at his home until he recovered and honored him profusely. After some time, the man became destitute. He had to sell his bathhouse in order to pay up his debts. The Rif<\/em> said, \u201cI will not adjudicate any halachic ruling regarding this bathhouse, for I gained pleasure from it.\u201d<\/p>\n

If one is required to feel gratitude toward an inanimate object, which has no feelings, all the more so is he required to demonstrate gratitude toward people, who do have feelings. One who shows a lack of gratitude toward them is lacking basic good character (Shita Mekubetzet<\/em>, Bava Kama<\/em> 92b).<\/p>\n

Demonstrating gratitude toward Hashem and demonstrating gratitude toward one\u2019s fellow man stem from the same source. If one is deficient in displaying gratitude toward one\u2019s fellow man, he will not recognize all the good Hashem does for him. In the World to Come, he will be lacking the tool necessary to cleave to Hashem. This is the quality of gratitude. Moreover, one\u2019s ability to grow in Olam Haba<\/em> develops from the seed of gratitude, which a person cultivates while he is still in this world (Michtav Me\u2019Eliyahu <\/em>III, pg. 101).<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cA new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Yosef\u201d (Shemot 1:8) Didn\u2019t the Egyptians remember the kindnesses of Yosef? Certainly they did, but they did not act appropriately. Instead of displaying gratitude, they denied what he had done. Eventually, Pharaoh denied Hashem\u2019s kindnesses, as well, as the pasuk states, \u201cI do not know […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1059],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gratitude"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98121"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98121\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}