Recognizing the Good All Around Us
Dolly Parton sings, “‘Cause I can see the light of a clear blue morning/I can see the light of a brand new day/ I can see the light of a clear blue morning/ Everything’s gonna be all right.”
Everything is going to be all right! Why? Because we are surrounded by so much good. We just have to work on recognizing it.
The nineteenth century Mussar movement sought to place ethics and character development at the center of Jewish religious practice. It speaks of middot, virtues, that we must work on developing, such as patience and silence, truthfulness and generosity. Among my favorite middot is hakarat hatov, recognizing the good.
We must seek to recognize the good. It is not about fashioning it but acknowledging the good that is already there.
The Torah commands us to bring the first fruits to the priest and recite these words, “My father was a fugitive Aramean. He went down to Egypt with meager numbers and sojourned there; but there he became a great and very populous nation… And so, I now bring the first fruits of the soil that You, O Lord, have given me.” We are then instructed to leave the basket of fruit at the altar and bow low before God. (Deuteronomy 26)
In this recitation there is no acknowledgment of the work of our hands. We do not proclaim how hard we worked to farm the land. The toil and sweat of the farmer is ignored. Instead, we celebrate the bounty that God’s earth provides. We acknowledge the blessings of God’s hands.
Alan Morinis remarks, “When gratitude is a living reality well established in our hearts, we constantly refresh our vision so that we make accurate note of the good that surrounds us.” Realizing that most of us are not farmers, he then offers this counsel: “Imagine a prayer of thanks springing to your lips when the driver in the next car lets you merge without protest, or when there is electricity to light your room, or the food is adequate. Giving thanks can become a flow that waters the fields of life.” (Everyday Holiness: The Jewish Spiritual Power of Mussar)
Giving thanks to others, giving thanks to God is what nourishes our souls.
There is a story about the founder of the Musar movement, Rabbi Yisrael Salanter. He once learned the true meaning of hakarat hatov from a barista. The great sage complained to him about the price of his expensive cup of coffee and exclaimed, “Why does the coffee cost so much when it is only coffee grounds and water?” The barista explained that not only is the cup of coffee expertly pulled from carefully roasted beans, but it is served in handmade porcelain cups. The shop also offers soothing music, an exquisite décor and of course a barista who occasionally offers sage advice. It was then that Rabbi Salanter realized the true meaning of hakarat hatov.
There is so much good hidden in everyday moments.
Imagine how many thousands of miles those coffee beans traveled and how many people made that journey possible and how the farmers tended those coffee plants in the hilly tropics so we can smell the wonderful scent of fresh roasted beans and savor the taste of our morning coffee. Sure, it’s often way too expensive but there is so much good in that seemingly ordinary and everyday cup of coffee.
Our job is to recognize the good and acknowledge it. Our task is to find these moments each and every day.
Let’s begin with the day’s first taste.
Everything’s gonna be all right!