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Rabbi's Message - May 2022 - Recognizing and Showing Gratitude

Rabbi Yisrael Gustman had a small

garden outside his office at the

Yeshiva, and every day he would go

out to work in the garden, watering the

plants. The students at the Yeshiva

would gaze at this action with curiosity, as to why their

great rabbi would spend his precious time watering and

taking care of plants. Once, upon seeing the curiosity of

his students, he explained to them that this was an act of

Hakarat Hatov, recognizing and showing gratitude.


Prior to the war, he was once taking a walk with his

teacher, Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski. Rabbi Chaim

pointed out to him which vegetation and grasses were edible,

this information turned out to be very important to

Rabbi Gustman, enabling him to save his life during his

escapes into the forest when the Nazis invaded Vilna.

Consequently, Rabbi Gustman felt that watering the plants

was an act of Hakarat Hatov to these various grasses and

vegetation that had sustained him during the second world

war.

If we must show gratitude towards inanimate things,

how much more so, should we show Hakarat Hatov to

human beings who help us and do something kind for us.


One of the most important parts of our service to G-d is

recognizing all the good that He performs for us, giving us

whatever we have in all aspects of wealth, health and happiness.


Let us all strive to being individuals who regularly have

Hakarat Hatov, and thus make us happier and more fulfilled

each day of our lives. And let us say amen!


If anyone knows of someone who is ill or

has passed or is in some other need

please call or email me directly so that

I can make contact with them. My number

is 305-338-3029 and my email is


DSchonblum@yahoo.com


Rabbi Schonblum

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