November 30, 2024
There is a story told of Rabbi Yerucham Levovitz, one of the great teachers of Mussar (Jewish spiritual development) who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Rabbi Levovitz had a special fund from which students of the yeshiva could borrow money. One year, a student borrowed money to travel home for Passover. Upon returning, he repaid the money and offered a word of gratitude. As soon as the words “thank you” came out of his mouth, his teacher scolded him, saying that when a beneficiary of a mitzvah expresses gratitude, it diminishes the mitzvah and undercuts the selflessness of the doer.
The next year, the same student borrowed money again to travel home. This time, when he returned to the yeshiva and put the money back in the fund, he didn’t say a word. Rabbi Levovitz said to him, “Where’s your gratitude?” Confused, the student replied, “Rabbi, last year I did the same thing and said thank you, and you scolded me. This year, I said nothing, and you scolded me. What am I supposed to do?” Rabbi Levovitz explained that one is not supposed to express gratitude in this situation; however, the feeling of gratitude inside should have been so great that it would have been difficult to remain silent. The rabbi did not see the student struggling to remain silent.
Alan Morinis shares this story in his book Everyday Holiness and explains that the lesson of gratitude lies in the heart, not in the behavior. The staff at Beth Tikvah embodies this feeling of gratitude, which turns into an expression of gratitude daily. Whenever our members see the police officer in our lobby, we thank them for being there. These special duty shifts are optional; yes, they receive pay, but they take these shifts during their time off and put their lives on the line to protect us.
We are served by three police departments at Beth Tikvah: Worthington, Perry Township, and Sharon Township. I hope that, in this season of offering thanks, you will take a moment to write three thank-you notes to our police departments for protecting us. When you write to them, please include in the note that you are a member of Beth Tikvah.
Worthington Police Dept.
6555 Worthington Galena Rd.
Worthington, OH 43085
Attn: Chief Mylett
Perry Twp Police Dept.
7125 Sawmill Rd.
Dublin, OH 43016
Attn: Chief Cesaro
Sharon Twp Police Dept.
95 E. Wilson Bridge Rd.
Worthington, OH 43085
Attn: Chief Tuchfarber
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Rick Kellner