Not long ago, I found myself watching a family at a nearby table at a restaurant. Just before the food arrived, they reached across the table, held hands, and quietly bowed their heads. Their prayer lasted no more than twenty seconds, yet something remarkable happened. Several people at neighboring tables paused to look. Some smiled. Others seemed momentarily puzzled.

I have often wondered why such a simple act attracts attention. Perhaps it is because gratitude has become so private that its public expression now surprises us. Or perhaps it is because, in a culture that celebrates self-sufficiency, stopping to give thanks reminds us that none of us is truly self-made.

Judaism has always insisted that gratitude is more than good manners. It is a spiritual discipline. Every time we sit down to eat bread, we recite one of the best-known blessings in our tradition: “Baruch Atah Adonai… hamotzi lechem min ha’aretz.” “Blessed are You… who brings forth bread from the earth.”........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)