The Sceptic Blog

1. A lovely lady has just died and left her former neighbours around the village of Solva a large amount of money, in a wide variety of bequests.

2. I just heard a radio journalist ask the local publican how he felt about it.  He answered “well when someone gives you money for nothing you’re bound to feel good about it”.

3.  Thereby missing the point of the bequest.  This was not “money for nothing” – it was a celebration of gratitude for real – but intangible – benefits received from the warmth and companionship of the whole village.

4.  This lady has taught us a wonderful lesson in the Jewish principle of hakoras hatov – gratitude – one of the key attributes ascribed to the Divine image in which we are all created.

5.  What good timing as well: this lesson comes on the eve of Shavuot, on which festival we read about Ruth, another lady who taught the Jewish community a powerful lesson in the practice of our own Jewish values.  Ruth, indeed, did it so effectively that the influx of much-needed spiritual energy that she brought to the community was the foundation for the birth and nurture of King David, from whose descendants the Messiah will eventually come.  We are much in need of bursts of constructive spiritual energy today – a few more lessons in gratitude like this one, and we may be ready for King David mach 2.