Yet, within our congregation, are people who are not a threat to us. They are lonely, overlooked and isolated. They pose no danger to our welfare. They would welcome our including them in our Shabbat and holiday dinner tables. Then, too, we have abandoned the tradition of articulating thanks.
Guests tend to be ungrateful today.
So few people call or write to thank a host after a dinner. The act of thanking is really for the benefit of the receiver, not the giver. By thanking the host, we indicate that we take no gift in life from any other person for granted. Similarly, we are obligated to praise and thank God. We do so, not because God is so insecure that God depends upon our lavish expressions of appreciation.