Vayeshev

Our Name is Gratitude

When Leah's fourth son is born, she names him Yehudah: gratitude.

Yehudah's name honors the miraculous way that things unfold in time. And Torah focuses on the miraculous way that Yehudah himself unfolds in time. We see his early misguided attempts to be a decent brother in a troubled family and his later misguided attempts to protect his sons by tricking his daughter-in-law. We see how his daughter-in-law holds up a metaphorical mirror in which he can finally see how he's been bumbling through his relationships. And then we see how, as a mature man, he expresses empathy and love, and risks his life in the name of those values.

We could say that through a series of historical accidents, our name is gratitude. The tribe of Yehudah settled in Southern Canaan. The name of the Southern Israelite kingdom became Yehudah. The name of the self-governing province controlled by Persia and later Rome was Yehud. Twenty-five hundred years later, we still call ourselves Yehudim - Jews.

Or we could say that through deep spiritual insight we choose to call ourselves Yehudim - the grateful ones. Through the spiritual practice of gratitude we remember moments for which we are grateful. If we can remember moments of wonder, peace, love, insight, abundance, moments in which we felt supported by God and by family and friends - then we can know that such moments can come again. Gratitude empowers us with the strength and courage to face difficulties. Gratitude leads to renewal. The story of our life! 

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