Parshat Eikev

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 Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon

 Founder and Board Chairman, JobKatif

 

 

The only bracha explicitly mentioned in this week’s parsha is Birchat HaMazon (Grace after meals).We will therefore take a look at the significance of the text and how it relates to eating.

 

The gemara in Brachot (45b) states that Birchat HaMazon is from the Torah as it says “Ve’achalta, Ve’sevata, U’verachta…Al Ha’aretzHa’tova (And you shall eat, and you shall be satisfied, and you shall bless…for the good land).

 

In light of the actual text that we use when say Birchat Hamazon, there are a few questions that come up: are the words of Birkat HaMazon are actually from the Torah? What is the relevance of the text to the act of eating bread?

 

The gemara states that Moshe established the first bracha of HazanEt Ha’Kol when the manna fell,Yehoshua established the bracha of Al Ha’Aretz when the Jewish people entered the land of Israel, King David and King Shlomo established the third bracha of Boneh Yerushalayim. From this statement, it seems that the text of Birchat HaMazon is not from the Torah.

 

However, the Gemara also says that the textof  “U’Verachta” (and you shall bless) refers to the bracha of Hazan Et Ha’Kol, while the text of “Al Ha’AretzHa’Tova”refers to the bracha of Boneh Yerushalayim. According to this explanation, the text is directly from the Torah.

 

Regarding the meaning of the brachot in Birchat HaMazon (Hazan Et Ha’Kol- Blessed are You, G-d, Who nourishes all), relates to the concept of man working, toiling, planting, harvesting, and using technology to support himself. However, we must always remember that G-d really gave us all that we have. G-d is the one who takes care of us.

 

I find the usage of the word hakol to be a bit perplexing. I wonder, does G-d only worry about the Jewish people? When we look at the first bracha of BirkatHaMazon, it mentions God, Who nourishes “the entire world”. The “entire world” refers to Jews, non-Jews and even animals. We actually see this idea a total of five times in this bracha: Noten Lechem Le’Kol Ba’asar (He gives bread to all flesh), U’Mepharnes La’Kol (Who supports all), U’Maitiv La’Kol (and sustains all), U’Machine Mazon L’chol Briyotav (He prepares food for all of his creatures), and the two which were previously mentioned.

 

The second bracha of Al Ha’Aretz speaks about specific aspectsof the nation of Israel and the land of Israel (as opposed to the first bracha where we discuss how G-d takes care of the whole world). We mention the land of Israel when we are thanking G-d over the meal because the food that we eat in Israel is more special than in the rest of the world. The Ramban explains that nations outside of Israelare supervised by different angels, butG-d Himself supervisesover Israeldirectly.

 

Another reason is when the Israelites arrived in Israel after their journeys in the desert, they had to work hard to get their food by planting and plowing the land. When man toils the land, it may be easy to think that the fruits we reap of the land are literally “fruits of our own labor”, and forget G-d entirely. Therefore, the Torah stresses that when you eat and are satisfied, you must bless G-d so that you won’t forget Who is truly making this all happen.

 

Chazal tell us that King David wrote the first half of the third bracha of Boneh Yerushalayim (He who rebuilds Jerusalem). Here, David asked for mercy from G-d on the nation of Israel, on Jerusalem and on the kingdom. Afterwards, Shlomo builds the Holy Temple and then continues the bracha, asking for mercy on the Temple.

 

These are very important ideas but, again, what is their relevance to food? After we enjoyed our meal we need to remember that physical materials are not the end goal. They are a means to fix G-d’s world. After we received the land of Israel, we received Jerusalem and the Holy Temple. When this happened, the Shechina became a special light that lived among us. When we feel that G-d is the King over us we ask Ve’na Al Tatzrichanu, HashemElokeinu, Lo LidayMatnatBasarVa’dam… (Please make us not needy, Hashem our G-d of the gifts of human hands…). We only want to rely on You, Your hand that is full, open, holy and generous.

 

The fourth bracha that comes from the rabbis is Ha’TovVe’Hametiv (He Who is good and Who does good). The bracha is indirectly connected the story of Beitar:after the destruction of the Holy Temple, the Romans ruled Jerusalem and they decided to outlaw the burial of the Jewish dead.  Although this law was instated for many years, the bodies never rotted nor did they decompose. So this bracha of Ha’Tov is thanking Hashem for preserving the bodies, while Ha’Metiv is for not allowing the bodies to decompose (Brachot 48b).

 

Why do I have to remember this story after I eat bread?

 

Rav Kook discusses the story of Beitar and explains that it is a symbol of strength. Even when the nation of Israel is suffering from the greatest, the peak of sorrow, their strength for life is protected. The nation always keeps its original, pure form.

 

In addition, when the soul leaves the body, the body can no longer survive on its own, which is why it begins to decompose. Although the Jewish nation has suffered and been tortured because of our beliefs, our nation has stood strong and has never fallen apart.

 

The fourth bracha that we say comes to awake this special strength of life that is found in every Jew. It arouses hope even in the most difficult of times for us. Through this bracha, we learn to think beyond the individual realm, and consider the collective.

 

In the time that man is eating his bread, he should remember the importance of the nation of Israel. He remembers the importance of the lives that were given up over the years in the name of Hashem. And he knows that the soul of the Jewish nation will, in the near future blossom again.

 

Especially in light of this week’s attacks in Eilat, JobKatif joins Am Yisrael in praying for the refua shleima of the wounded victims, and in mourning the loss of those killed. In the near future, the soul of the Jewish nation will blossom again…

 

Shabbat Shalom