Eikev
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha the mitzvah of Birkas HaMazon. The Torah states (Chapter 8, Pasuk 10), V’Achaltah V’Savatah U’Veirachtah es Hashem Elokechah, and you shall eat and become satiated and you shall bless Hashem your Gd. The Gemara in Berachos 48B teaches that the first bracha was established by Moshe Rabbeinu when the “mahn” came down. The second bracha was established by Yehoshua when they entered Eretz Yisrael. The third bracha was established by Dovid and Shlomo for the city of Yerushalayim and for the Beis Hamikdash. The fourth bracha was established in Yavneh when those killed in Beitar were given a proper burial.
The Medrash Tanchuma on parshat Masei (6) teaches in a similar manner to the Gemara in Berachos, but the Medrash adds that the second bracha of “al Ha’aretz v’al Hamaon” is the most beloved of all the Berachos in Birkas Hamazon. The Medrash mentions that certain statements contained within the bracha are essential, like bris and Torah, thus making it very important. But there seems to be an additional point about the bracha the Medrash is making. What is it about “Birkas Ha’aretz” that makes it so essential and the most beloved of all the Berachos in Birkas Hamazon?
The Sfas Emes explains in the following manner. We read after the sin of Adam Harishon (Bereishis, Chapter 3, Pasuk 17), Arurah Ha’adamah, the land shall be cursed. And Eretz Yisrael itself was controlled by Cana’an, about whom the Torah states (Bereishis, Chapter 9, Pasuk 25) Arur Cana’an, cursed is Cana’an. We have a principle taught to us by Chazal (see Rashi on Bereishis, Chapter 24, Pasuk 39, Eliezer was from Cana’an) Ein Arur Medabek L’Baruch, something which is cursed can’t receive a bracha. Therefore, since the land was cursed, it could not be blessed. Until Bnei Yisrael entered Eretz Yisrael, there was only the first bracha of Birkas Hamazon which was established by Moshe Rabbeinu on the “mahn”. There could only be a bracha on Lechem min Hashamayim, bread from the heavens, but not a bracha on Lechem min Ha’aretz, since the land was cursed.
This changed when Bnei Yisrael took control of Eretz Yisrael away from Cana’an. The land changed from being cursed to being blessed. This is why the bracha of Al Ha’aretz v’Al Hamazon is so essential to Birkas Hamazon. Only upon entering and capturing Eretz Yisrael were Bnei Yisrael able to say a bracha on the land and its food. Before Yehoshua brought them in to the land, it was a situation of B’itzavon Tochlenah, you shall eat in great hardship. As Rashi explains, they would plant various seeds, but the land would produce cursed things, like thorns and weeds.
Now they were able to produce the opposite effect. Now they were able to produce bracha from Eretz Yisrael and say Birkas Hamazon on Lechem min Ha’aretz, bread from the ground. This is taught from the pasukim we read before the mitzvah of Birkas Hamazon. The Torah describes Eretz Yisrael as Eretz Tovah, a good land, and as Eretz asher lo B’Miskeinus Tochal Bah Lechem. It is a land in which you shall eat bread, but not with the scarcity and limitations you experienced when the land was cursed. Now that you are entering the land, you will infuse it with bracha.
According to this, however, the mitzvah to bentch after eating should only be in Eretz Yisrael, but not in Chutz La’aretz. How can we say Birkas Hamazon outside of Eretz Yisrael?
Chazal teach us a principle in “darshening”, Kol Davar shehayah Ba’Klal V’Yatzah min Ha’Klal, Lelamed al Ha’Klal Kulo Yatzah. Something which was included in a general category, and then was brought as distinct from that group, it ultimately teaches something about the whole group as well. Eretz Yisrael is separated out from the rest of the world in this week’s parsha, and mentioned as a unique place of bracha. And when Bnei Yisrael entered Eretz Yisrael and created a situation of producing bracha from the ground instead of cursed items, this impacted on the entire world as well. As we read much later in the parsha (Chapter 11, Pasuk 12), Eretz Asher Hashem Elokecha Doreish Osah, a land which Hashem is constantly overseeing. And Rashi explains that through Gd seeking out Eretz Yisrael, he also seeks out the other lands as well. This is how we can understand the “Derashah” of Hashem in the pasuk. The process Rashi describes is consistent with the 13 principles of Derashah, in particular, with the principle we mentioned above. Since Eretz Yisrael is blessed, we understand that the other lands are blessed as well, and therefore the bracha of al Ha’aretz v’al Hamazon can be made in Chutz La’aretz as well.
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