Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
There is an interesting tale that comes to mind when I think of the two holidays approaching: Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. Given all that has transpired in our country and around the world, perhaps it is fitting that we consider it even more, especially since it is designed to express our gratitude to the One who gave us breath and encouraged us to be responsible one toward the other.
An old man sat outside the walls of a great city.
When travelers approached, they would ask the old man, “What kinds of people live in this city?”
And the old man would answer, “What kind of people lived in the place where you came from?”
If the travelers answered, “Only bad people lived in that place.”
Then the old man would reply, “Continue on, you will only find bad people here.”
But if the travelers answered, “Only good people lived in the place where we have come from.”
Then the old man would say, “Enter, for here, too, you will only find good people.”
Thoughts kept coming to me as I wondered how we could encourage our people and, for that matter, all people, wherever they reside, to consider the abundance we are blessed with. Perhaps some take it for granted, but I believe most realize that God is the One who supports and keeps us standing in the face of human experiences.
When we think about the men and women who serve our country, imbued with the fervor that encouraged them to wear the uniform to declare we are one people born out of the yearning for freedom, we should be proud to offer our thanks.
As we progress toward expressing our appreciation, perhaps it would also be appropriate to show our gratitude more than just with words. Our veterans need our help in restoring their dignity as they attempt to reconnect with the nation they serve.
Thanksgiving, on the other hand, was created when the first settlers arrived on the shores of a magnificent new land. Their dreams and hopes brought them here, and the lesson they taught resonates to this day. Even during the Civil War, our nation paused to remember the grace of God, with Abraham Lincoln declaring a holiday, this holiday, in 1863.
The men, women, and children who stepped foot on this rich and wondrous land realized that, by the Grace of God, they were now in a new Promised Land where everyone could feel secure under his/her own fig tree as the Prophet Micah proclaimed (Micah 4:4).
So, yes, good people do live here, and each of us inherited the feeling of connection and thankfulness that these holidays represent.
May we always be blessed with understanding, thankfulness, and appreciation to be able to live in this wonderful country.