To have hakarat hatov—to recognize and appreciate the good Hashem gives one isn’t just a means to enhance the quality of one’s life; indeed, it’s far from just the icing on the cake. Rather, it could significantly impact one’s success or lack of it, as it could largely determine one’s commitment and connection to Hashem and Torah.
Our parsha states, “Be on guard lest you forget Hashem, your God, by not observing His commandments, His ordinances and His decrees … ” (8:11). The pasuk specifically first mentions forgetting Hashem, which may sound like that is what causes one to choose to not observe the mitzvot; thus, indicating that one is unable to simply decide to be non-observant, unless he first decides to forget Hashem’s existence and providence. Why would one be dependent on the other? Is it not possible for one to choose to not observe but yet continue to believe in Hashem?
Rav Nosson Wachtfogel explains that a fundamental nature within the human is that when one recognizes the good he has received from another, he feels indebted to give back to him. Hence, if one would admit and recognize that it’s Hashem who gives him all the good he has, he would naturally be submissive to Hashem’s will and would devote himself to fulfill Hashem’s mitzvot. So, the yetzer hara comes along and tries to attack the root—to convince one to forget Hashem, to forget that all the good he has is from Hashem—which, as a result, would naturally lead one to not devote himself to Hashem’s mitzvot, since he no longer believes that what he has is from Hashem (“Kovetz Sichos,” 4, Tazria).
We, perhaps, see from here that a lack of hakarat hatov could, ultimately, lead one to live a life so far from the truth and from Hashem, to the point of forgetting Hashem and ignoring the Torah and mitzvot.
Our parsha states, “And now, Israel, what does Hashem, your God, ask of you? But only to fear Hashem, your God, to go in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve Hashem, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul,” (10:12). From the wording of the pasuk (“But only”), it sounds like attaining yirat Hashem is a simple matter. And, as the Gemara (Brachot 33b) asks, “Is yirat Hashem a small matter?”
But yirat Hashem isn’t the only thing mentioned in the pasuk! The pasuk lists a lengthy number of other important directives, so why is the Gemara seemingly only asking on just yirat Hashem? Is everything else in the list not also no small matter? The sefer “Otzrot HaTorah” seems to explain that Hashem is mainly asking us for one thing—to fear Him; for when one attains yirat Hashem, that lends itself to easily fulfilling all of the directives stated in the rest of pasuk. As Rav Leib Chasman (“Ohr Yahel,” Eikev) says, when one attains yirat Hashem, everything else in that pasuk then becomes a simple matter to attain.
The Gemara brings Rebbi Meir who would say: “A person is obligated to recite a hundred blessings every day, for it is stated: ‘And now, Israel, what does Hashem, your God, ask of you?’ (Menachot 43b). From the fact that the source for reciting 100 blessings is learned from the source of Hashem asking us to have yirat Hashem, may indicate a link between making brachot and attaining yirat Hashem, perhaps, teaching us that blessing Hashem can lead to yirat Hashem.
Making a blessing (when promoted from the proper state of awareness and emotion) can reflect upon and be an expression of one’s hakarat hatov, his appreciation for the good he has received from Hashem. Perhaps then, the Torah is hinting to us that having the appropriate measure of appreciation of what Hashem has given one, can lead to attaining yirat Hashem—which, as brought earlier, can ultimately lead to easily fulfilling the rest of the lofty directives mentioned in the continuation of the pasuk. Thus, we could, perhaps, learn from here that having hakarat hatov is the core and the foundation for what ultimately leads one to keep the Torah and mitzvot, to reach great levels in spirituality, to attain a genuine and intense relationship with Hashem. Moreover, the midrash says that the first word in the pasuk—“Veata (And now)”—refers to teshuva (Bereishit Rabbah, 21), and so, similarly perhaps, this teaches us that having hakarat hatov ultimately paves the way for a personal teshuva movement.
While on the one hand, we might see how a lack of hakarat hatov can lead to an unfortunate decline in one’s Torah observance and relationship with Hashem; on the other hand, we might see how having hakarat hatov can lead to tremendous spiritual growth and change for the better—how it can cause a positive turnaround in one’s prior lifestyle, and bring one to such phenomenal attainments in spirituality. In short, hakarat hatov can, perhaps, dictate and thus be a crucial influence on the direction one ultimately takes in life.
The midrash says that, “A rasha, even when alive, is considered like the dead. For he sees the sun shining, but he doesn’t make the bracha of ‘yotzer ohr;’ he sees the sun setting and he doesn’t make the bracha of ‘maariv aravim;’ he eats and drinks, but does not make brachot. However, tzaddikim, make a bracha on every single thing that they eat, drink, see and hear,” (Midrash Tanchuma, Vezot Habracha, 7). From one angle, this midrash may be telling us the formula to experience the most out of life, and that is to appreciate and bless Hashem for the good one receives. Although, one who doesn’t appreciate the good in his life may be—technically—“alive,” nevertheless, he isn’t “living,” and on some level, he is considered like the dead, perhaps because a lack of appreciation devoids the meaning or value in that thing. But when one appreciates and recognizes the good he has from Hashem, he is living; life, and the myriads of good within life, is now meaningful, valuable and, thus, experiential.
Yet, the midrash makes specific mention of a “rasha” and a “tzaddik,” instead of simply saying that “a person” who doesn’t appreciate is considered like the dead, and vice versa. Based on the above that hakarat hatov can determine the eventuality of one’s connection to Hashem and Torah, we can suggest that, perhaps, the midrash is teaching us that the reason why the rasha eventually became a rasha is because he doesn’t appreciate the good Hashem has given him; and the reason why the tzaddik eventually became a tzaddik is because he appreciates and recognizes the good he has is from Hashem! For when one learns to appreciate, then his relationship with Hashem and Torah can dramatically elevate.
Binyamin is a graduate of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchok Elchanan, and of Wurzweiler School of Social Work.
