Being grateful and bentching

Last Shabbos, we held our first services at our new location—a significant milestone and an exciting time for the Jewish community in South Dakota.
The morning service, the Torah reading, musaf, and the Kiddush lunch that followed, were well enjoyed and full of inspiration. The community prayed, sang, and shared a meal as we celebrated anniversaries and welcomed Jewish traveling guests from Chicago and Israel. 
One of the special highlights of Shabbos lunch is always the Grace After Meals, commonly known by its Yiddish term, "bentching."
This practice of thanking G-d after meals originates from this week’s Torah portion, where Moses tells the Children of Israel that G-d will bring them into the Holy Land—a land of wheat and barley, vines and figs, pomegranates, olive oil, and honey—where they will lack nothing.
Moses reminds them always to be grateful for their blessings and to thank G-d for providing them: "V’achalta v’savata, u’verachta es Hashem Elokecha"—"You will eat and be satisfied, and you shall bless the L-rd, your G-d, for the good land He has given you."
The bentching consists of four primary blessings — the first instituted by Moses himself in the desert, the second by Joshua when the Children of Israel ate from the first harvest after entering the Holy Land, the third by Kings David and Solomon, and the fourth by the Sages in mishnaic times.
For over three thousand years, whenever Jews come together to eat, we give thanks G-d. This has also been key to our identity as Jews, always remembering to be grateful, and recognizing that our achievements and prosperity are not the result of “my strength and the might of my hand,” but rather “it is He that gives you strength to make wealth.”
We hope you'll join us for Kiddush and lunch at this week’s Shabbat service, and together, we'll bentch and celebrate!