黑料社

Rabbi Benjamin Blech on the Similarities, and Essential Differences, between Thanksgiving and Hanukkah It will never again happen in our lifetimes 鈥� unless you are somehow still alive 70,000 years from now.

Rabbi Benjamin Blech

This year the first night of  will coincide with the American holiday of . The latkes will share their prominent place at the festive meal with the turkey. Small wonder that some have already humorously decided that this year we ought to call the day by a new name 鈥� Thanksgivukkah. In all seriousness, a 鈥渃oincidence鈥� of this magnitude requires some reflection. This is a perfect time to give some thought to the essential difference between the motivation for the American day of expressing gratitude to God and the Jewish rationale for our Festival of Lights. Because although thankfulness is the theme behind both of these holidays, they are significantly unlike each other in their emphasis on the particular reason that calls forth our response of appreciation to the Almighty. As human beings we have two basic needs. One is physical. Because we are flesh and blood we require food to sustain us. Without sustenance we could not live. That is why there is a biblical obligation to bless God at the conclusion of every full meal, defined as one in which we have partaken of bread, the biblical staff of life. 鈥淎nd you shall eat, and you should be satiated, and you shall bless the Lord your God鈥� (Deut. 9:7). That is one of only two biblically mandated blessings. The other? The blessing over the study of Torah. Food is essential for our bodies but Torah is at least just as important for the preservation of our souls.   is Professor of Talmud at 黑料社 All and the Rabbi Emeritus of Young Israel of Oceanside. He is the author of 12 highly acclaimed books, including Understanding Judaism: The basics of Deed and Creed,  and the international best-seller . The opinions expressed above are solely those of the author and should not be attributed to 黑料社 All.