Summer essentials kit

Summertime is here! That means lots of fun, but also hard things: meeting people and seeing old friends in camp, traveling, and spending time with family. It’s important that we have the right attitude going into this exciting season. The Talmud teaches us about the lens of:

Gam Zu l’Tovah — This, too, is for the good — גַּם זוֹ לְטוֹבָה

Taanit 21a

Gam zu l’tovah means having an OPTIMISTIC outlook — a realistic, but positive, perspective. When we look for the bright side, hard things become opportunities. We trust that Hashem has a plan for how things are supposed to be.

The Story of Nachum Ish Gamzu

In ancient times, the Roman emperor planned harsh decrees against the Jews. Rabbi Nachum Ish Gamzu was sent to Rome with jewels to change the king’s mind, but thieves stole them and replaced them with sand. The king angrily imprisoned him, but all Rabbi Nachum said, “gam zu l’tovah.” Eliyahu the Prophet convinced the king the sand was magical, and it helped the king win a war. The emperor freed Rabbi Nachum, canceled the decree, rewarded him, and punished the thieves. All Rabbi Nachum said then, too, was “gam zu l’tovah.”

Bringing gam zu l’tovah home

Family Questions

  1. How can our family practice having a gam zu l’tovah attitude together?

  2. What’s a time your gam zu l’tovah lenses helped improve a challenging situation?

Summertime Gam Zu l’Tovah Challenge

As a family, commit to 30 minutes daily (i.e., 6:00-6:30 PM) that you’ll strive to have a gam zu l’tovah attitude. When you’re talking about something hard during that half hour, add one of the following:

  • But the silver lining may be...

  • Maybe the lesson for me is that...

  • I will try to keep an open mind about...

  • I am hopeful that...

Where did you bring your Gam Zu l’Tovah attitude this summer?

CUltivate a gam zu l’tovah attitude

Inside this kit

Gam Zu l’Tovah Sunglasses

Sunny Beach Ball

Heaven+Earth Happy Lolly

Fun for the Whole Family!