Our parsha states: “An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the congregation of Hashem, to eternity, because of the fact that they did not greet you with bread and water on the road when you were leaving Egypt, and because he hired against you Bilaam … to curse you.”
Ramban explains this verse by stating: “It appears to me that Scripture distanced [the descendants of] these two brothers, [Ammon and Moav], who had been the beneficiaries of Avraham’s kindness, for [it was] he (Avraham) who saved their father and mother, [i.e., Lot and his wife], from the sword and captivity, and [furthermore, when Sodom was destroyed it was] in [Avraham’s] merit [that] God sent [Lot and his family] from amidst the upheaval, and [Ammon and Moav] were [therefore] obliged to do good to [Bnei] Yisrael, and [instead] they did bad to them: One of them—i.e., the Moabites—hired Bilaam son of Beor against [Bnei Yisrael], and the other one [- the Ammonite nation -] did not greet [Bnei Yisrael] with bread and with water when [Bnei Yisrael] approached opposite it.”
Rav Henach Leibowitz seems to point out that Ramban implies that Ammon and Moav are not allowed to enter the congregation of Hashem solely because they lacked hakarat hatov to Avaraham Avinu. The fact that they committed such severe acts of trying to destroy Bnei Yisrael through hiring Bilaam to curse them and following Bilaam’s advice of enticing Bnei Yisrael to sin would not have sufficed to not allow them to enter the congregation of Hashem. This can, therefore, teach us how great of a shortcoming it is to lack hakarat hatov, for it is fitting that Ammon and Moav not be allowed to enter the congregation of Hashem because of the fact that they lacked hakarat hatov for the kindness that Avraham did to their ancestors hundreds of years before (from which they ultimately benefited from) (See Chidushei HaLev, Ki Teitzei, 23:5).
We can suggest that besides for perhaps underscoring the importance and responsibility of having hakarat hatov, this can perhaps also teach us to appreciate and have gratitude for something that we benefited from, even if that benefit was derived indirectly — from generations earlier—as in the case above, where a benefit was ultimately derived due to one’s ancestor being a recipient of good from someone else.
This level of appreciation and gratitude was perhaps even expected of someone like the wicked Bilaam. When commencing his plan to deliver curses upon Bnei Yisrael, Bilaam opened with saying, “From Aram, Balak, king of Moav, led me.” The midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 20:19) explains that Bilaam was alluding to Avraham, who came from Aram, and to Lavan, who lived in Aram. Bilaam was thus essentially saying to Balak: “By trying to harm Bnei Yisrael, we are both being equally ungrateful. If it were not for Avraham, their father, there would be no Balak. For if not for the merit of Avraham, who was Lot’s uncle, Lot would not have escaped from Sodom, and you, Balak, are of Lot’s descendants! And were it not for Yaakov, their father, I (Bilaam) too would not have been in the world, for Lavan [from whom I ultimately descended] had sons only in the merit of Yaakov!”
We can suggest that the fact that even Bilaam seemed to have realized the importance of hakarat hatov, perhaps shows that even someone like the depraved Bilaam was expected to live up to this level of hakarat hatov, despite the fact that this is in reference to a benefit derived from someone who benefitted his ancestor generations earlier.
It may be possible that the wicked Haman as well was expected to have this level of gratitude. It is stated: “Haman made known the enmity of his forebears, and aroused the brotherly hate [of Esav] upon the children. He did not remember the compassion of Shaul, for it was through his pity on Agag that the foe was born. Conspire did the wicked one to cut off the righteous one … ” The fact that Haman “did not remember the compassion of Shaul” on Agag—a compassion which ultimately caused Haman to come forth generations later—can perhaps show that even the wicked Haman was expected to maintain this level of hakarat hatov.
On the other hand, we find perhaps, that David HaMelech greatly exemplified this level of appreciation and gratitude. In Tehillim it states, “At midnight I arise to thank You for Your righteous judgements.” The midrash (Rut Rabbah 6:1) says that part of David’s thanks to Hashem was Hashem’s righteousness that He performed with David’s great grandfather and great grandmother. The midrash explains what David essentially referred to: “For had Boaz hastily directed at Rut but one curse (when he found her lying at his feet), from where would I (David) have come forth? But instead, You (Hashem) inspired him and he blessed her.”
Rav Leibowitz points out that it emerges from the midrash that David had hakarat hatov to Hashem for preventing Boaz from cursing Rut, for if Boaz would have done that, David would not have been born. Yet, as Rav Leibowitz observes, David endured many hardships and difficulties and encountered situations of great danger in his life, and Hashem rescued and saved him from all of them. Not only that, Hashem made him king over the Jewish people and granted that the kingship would remain with his descendants forever and also that Mashiach would come from him. Yet, when David would thank Hashem, he wouldn’t just thank Him for all the good that Hashem bestowed upon him in his life, but he would also thank Him for the good that Hashem performed to his great-grandmother Rut! (Chidushei HaLev, Rut 3:8).
Although it was a benefit that was ultimately derived from an incident that occurred generations earlier, David HaMelech recognized and appreciated that good and showed how grateful he was. Indeed, he would continuously thank Hashem for it and he would even wake up at midnight to thank Him for it!
While we might tend to focus on appreciating that which we directly benefit from in the here and now, from all the above, we can perhaps learn to also focus on appreciating and being grateful for all the good we receive(d) indirectly, even for that which we ultimately benefited from due to Hashem’s kindness that He performed for our ancestors generations ago.
Binyamin is a graduate of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan, and Wurzweiler School of Social Work.
