Do you thank ChatGPT?
Do you thank ChatGPT for editing a document or planning your travel? Should you thank a Tesla on Autopilot or a humanoid robot doing chores in your home?
Today’s AI systems sound human, respond instantly, and perform meaningful tasks, so it’s natural to feel as if we’re interacting with something that deserves courtesy.
Research has shown that being polite when interacting with AI leads to better responses. Polite prompts—those that use words like “please” and “thank you”—often yield more detailed, accurate, and better-formatted answers than blunt or rude requests. But this improvement isn’t because ChatGPT has feelings. It’s because polite phrasing offers more context and mirrors the kind of communication the model was trained on.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently noted that this politeness comes at a cost—tens of millions of dollars in computing power each year—yet he called the expense “well spent.” Kind, nuanced prompts tend to trigger deeper, more thoughtful outputs.
Jewish tradition takes seriously the act of showing respect even to inanimate objects.
Respecting the Inanimate in Torah
When the plagues of Blood and Frogs struck Egypt, it was Aaron—not Moses—who struck the Nile. Why? Because the river had once protected baby Moses when he was placed in a basket to hide from the Egyptians. Similarly, we cover the challah on Shabbat so it is not “ashamed” when the wine is blessed first.
Kabbalah teaches that divine energy exists in all things, even inanimate objects. But equally important, the Sefer HaChinuch explains: “A person’s heart follows their actions.”
If we bark orders at our devices or speak harshly to technology, that tone can seep into our relationships and the environments we create. Treating our tools with respect is ultimately a way of refining ourselves.
Thanksgiving and the Essence of Gratitude
This week’s parsha Vayetzei introduces the name Yehuda, from hoda’ah—gratitude. The name was given to Jacob & Leah's fourth son. As the verse states, “She conceived again and bore a son, and declared, 'This time I will praise the LORD.' Therefore she named him Judah…” (Genesis, 29:35)
Gratitude is not just an emotion, it is the heart of Jewish identity. The Talmud teaches that anyone who acknowledges G-d and denys idol worship is called a Yehudi- a Jew.
America shares this foundation. President George Washington proclaimed the first national Thanksgiving on November 26, 1789, as a day of “public thanksgiving and prayer,” acknowledging the “favors of Almighty G-d.” From its earliest days, the American story has tied freedom and opportunity to faith and gratitude.
Jacob’s Journey and the Purpose of Prayer
At the start of this week’s Torah portion, Jacob leaves his sheltered life in Israel and heads to Charan. On the way, he stops at the future site of the Temple and prays. The Midrash teaches that this moment established the evening prayer—Maariv.
Prayer is filled with gratitude and praise, yet does G-d need our thanks?
G-d is infinite, but He chose a relationship in which our choices, our mitzvot, and our prayers give Him “pleasure”—they fulfill the purpose He embedded in creation. Through gratitude, we become more humble, more joyful, and more connected. Entitlement closes the heart; gratitude opens it.
The Rebbe once told a child that his favorite prayer is the first one we say each morning: Modeh Ani, a prayer of thanks to G-d for giving us back our soul. Why? Because waking up is G-d’s way of saying, “I believe in you.” Each new day is a divine vote of confidence.
Living with Connection
We follow the same pattern. Beginning the day with prayer, gratitude and Torah study aligns our minds and hearts. The very word tefillah means connection.
Among all our prayers, one rises above the rest: the longing for Moshiach. Our daily liturgy mentions this hope dozens of times. Of course we should pray for our personal needs—health, livelihood, family, and the challenges we face. But we must never lose sight of the bigger picture. When we ask for Moshiach, we are asking not only for personal blessing, but for the redemption of the entire world.
When Redemption comes, every struggle—individual and global—will find its resolution. Moshiach will usher in an era of peace, prosperity, and the fulfillment of the world’s ultimate purpose. Let us pray that it happens today.
