A Thanksgiving Tale: Vayetze

of all biblical figures, the matriarch leah would be the best invite to thanksgiving. she was the unwanted one. while having nice eyes, she was not the attractive sibling with the beautiful looks and the nice body. she was the one who entered an unhappy marriage based upon her father’s deceitful act. her situation was so bad that even the master of the universe found that she was hated. genesis 29:31.

god took mercy upon leah and opened up her womb. the births of leah’s children, however, did not make her happy. with her first child, she viewed her situation as god looking at her suffering and providing children so that her husband would love her. genesis 29:32. her pessimistic attitude continued through the next two childbirths. finally, with the fourth, upon the birth of judah, she declared “this time i’ll praise the lord.” genesis 29:35. little did she know that her fourth child would and his descendants would play a major role in history. the tribe of judah housed both jerusalem and the two temples.

for many, the holiday seasons are rough. not everyone can be beautiful and have a great body, be the desired one, or have a life going all the way in their direction. with leah, it took numerous rays of light before she realized that that she could simply be thankful. one of life’s secrets is that expressing gratitude is an attractive quality. most people run from the complainers and the self-absorbed.

perhaps, the thanksgiving holiday’s dreaded moment of going around the table to express gratitude should be met with less cringe and more zeal. perhaps, we donot have to endure the pain of four childbirths before finding some modicum of contentment.

be well!!

happy holidays!!

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