A Mitzvah with a Hidden Story
One of the mitzvot (Torah commandments) listed in Parashat Acharei Mot is that of kisui ha-dam—covering the blood of a bird or a wild animal after it has been shechted. At first glance, this seems like a technical halachic detail. However, Chazal (our Sages) reveal that beneath this mitzvah lies a story that stretches all the way back to the very beginning of our history.
Kayin, the son of Adam HaRishon (the first man), was the first person to offer a korban (sacrifice to God). However, what he brought was inferior and not fitting. His brother Hevel followed and also brought a korban—but his was from the firstborn of his sheep, a truly choice offering. As a result, only Hevel’s korban was accepted.
A Kindness That Changed History
Kayin became furious and killed Hevel—the first murder in history. Hevel’s body lay on the ground in disgrace, with no one to bury him. That was until a flock of birds came to the scene and began pecking at the earth, using it to cover the body. They were joined by wild animals, who dug into the ground and pushed earth over him, until he was finally buried in a dignified way.
This quiet act did not go unnoticed. The birds and the wild animals received an eternal reward: just as they covered Hevel’s blood, their blood must be covered. This became a mitzvah for all generations. Kisui ha-dam, then, is far more than a technical detail—it is a living expression of hakarat ha-tov, recognizing the good done in safeguarding Hevel’s dignity. Remarkable.
(Bereishit Rabbah 22)
Gratitude That Never Expires
This teaching sheds powerful light on how far gratitude extends. For an act the birds performed so long ago, for one of the first people who ever lived, we are still obligated to express appreciation even today. And not just in thought—we do something tangible, covering the blood, as an active expression of gratitude. That sets a model for us.
We benefit from others in countless ways. Even long after the moment has passed, we should strive to remember and appreciate what has been done for us—and, when possible, express it in a real, meaningful way.
A Living Example of Appreciation
When Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spector was young, he lived in deep poverty and owned just one worn-out pair of shoes. At one point, he stayed with a generous host who insisted on buying him a new pair. Years later, he became one of the gedolei ha-dor (great Torah leaders of the generation), renowned across the world. On one visit to a certain city, large crowds gathered to greet him—so many that it was nearly impossible to get close.
When Rav Yitzchak Elchanan heard that this host from years earlier was there, he immediately asked that he be brought in. He then said to him, “You should know that everything I have accomplished is in the merit of the shoes you gave me all those years ago.”
Before We Benefit, We Acknowledge
There is another mitzvah, in Parashat Kedoshim, that carries a very similar message—one that brings this idea into our everyday lives.
The Torah introduces the mitzvah of orlah: it is forbidden to eat from a fruit tree during its first three years of growth. In the fourth year, the fruits have a special kedushah (holiness) and must be eaten in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) or redeemed (Vayikra 19:23). Only after that do they become fully permitted.
Why can’t we just eat the fruit right away?
The Ramban (Maimonides) explains that this mitzvah is rooted in hakarat ha-tov. Before we benefit from something as enjoyable as fresh, delicious fruit, we first pause to recognize where it comes from—and to praise Hashem (God) for it.
During the first three years, when the fruit is still developing, we hold back. We wait. Then, in the fourth year, when the fruit has reached a more complete stage, we take it to Yerushalayim or redeem it—transforming the experience into one of recognition and appreciation. It becomes an act of praising Hashem for the gift of these fruits before we benefit from them. Only afterward do we eat freely. From here, the message becomes very clear. Everything we have is a precious gift from Hashem, and it is essential to express gratitude before benefiting. This is also why we are commanded to recite berachot (blessings) before we eat and drink. As Chazal teach in Berachot 35a, “It is forbidden to benefit from this world until we recite a berachah.”
By Rabbi Daniel Shasha, author of “Living Appreciation”
