Are you having a blue Thanksgiving? Think about this

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In the Jewish tradition, gratitude is not only a feeling. It is a response to a sacred question. That question is “Ayeka?” — “Where are you?”

It is the first question God poses to humanity in the Garden of Eden, spoken into a moment when everything has already gone wrong. Adam is hiding. The relationship is fractured. And still God comes seeking him: “Where are you?”

God is not asking for Adam’s location. He is asking: Where are you in this moment? What do you stand for when the world feels uncertain or unfair? Who are you choosing to be? It is not an accusation. It is an invitation to be found.

And the answer our tradition gives us is the answer of our forefather Abraham: “Hineni.” “Here I am.”

Hineni is a commitment — the courage to step forward when the path ahead is