Rabbi Lior Nevo, Hebrew SeniorLife, Schechter Parent
Parashat Tzav, the second Torah portion in the Book of Leviticus, gives us a description of the five sacrifices that the priests are to perform. We also read about the limitations on the consumption of meat, and we’re given details about the ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests and the preparation of the Tabernacle as a holy place.
One of the sacrifices described has always fascinated me. This is the קרבן תודה—Korban Todah—The Thanksgiving Offering. This was a somewhat optional offering that was brought to the Temple by persons who wanted to express gratitude to God after surviving hazardous situations. This feels different to me than a parent saying to their child “what do we say?” when we’d like them to say “thank you.” In the case of the Korban Todah, no one is standing there, prompting us to show gratitude. We need to exercise our internal drive to do that.
So, if this isn’t a mandatory offering—why do we even need it?
Since the famous study on gratitude, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 2001, titled: “Positive Emotions in Early Life and Longevity: Findings from the Nun Study” numerous studies have been conducted about the mental (and physical) health benefits of being thankful. A simple Google search about gratitude and health will list loads of references to studies, articles and books that all show that feeling gratitude, even if we don’t express it to others, affects our wellbeing. As I was scrolling and reading more and more articles on this subject, I found one that really caught my attention. A study that was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 2020, found that even just witnessing an expression of gratitude between two people, can have a positive effect on the observer.
This information sent me back to our portion. One of the ways in which the Korban Todah differs from other offerings, is that besides the “regular” offering, one is supposed to also bring 40(!) loaves of bread, consisting of 4 different types of dough. That’s a lot to carry! However, given what we know now, about the effect that witnessing an expression of gratitude can have on our health, I wonder if this strange spectacle, of someone ascending the steps of the Temple with 40 loaves of bread, was meant for the surrounding people to register, and bear witness that someone if feeling thankful, and perhaps enjoy the contagious effect and continue to spread this on.
I will end with one more thought about the תודה Todah. The biblical commentator, Shmuel David Luzzatto, mentions the connection between the word תודה—Todah—gratitude, and the word יד—yad—hand. We learn from a midrash in Tractate Brachot in the Talmud, that sometimes we need someone to give us a hand, to pull us out of a difficult state of mind. These past few months have been so difficult for all of us, on oh so many levels. I am hoping that we can support each other, give each other that helpful hand, (also) by taking it upon ourselves to practice and express more gratitude.
With prayers for the release of all the hostages,
