Q:
Why should we give thanks to Hashem for the food that He gives us? He made us; of course He has to feed us.
A:
That’s an old question that they ask here many times. If He created us, shouldn’t He have to feed us?
And the answer is, why should He?!
Let’s say somebody gave you a car and now you ring his bell in the morning. “What do you want now?” he asks you.
“Where’s the gasoline?” you say to him.
“You want gasoline from me too?!”
And so Hakodosh Boruch Hu gave you a body. He could say, “Go look for food yourself. Scrounge! You can’t find a grocery store? So go someplace in the country; maybe you’ll find wild berries. I have to support you? I gave you a body! Just for that you should thank Me all your life!”
And therefore, it’s only ingratitude that causes this attitude.
It’s like children today, American boys and girls. They say to their parents, “Who told you to bring me into the world? Now you have to support me and buy me a car and give me money for narcotics and every kind of fun that I want to have.” And their parents are dumb enough to do it.
The parents can say, “Look. We gave you your bodies. Take care of yourselves from now on and be grateful that you’re alive.”
And so, if you weren’t so ungrateful, you’d be thanking Hashem all the time that you’re alive – you wouldn’t even think of demanding that He give you food too.
TAPE # 447 (February 1983)
