Parshat Eikev 5781
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha the mitzvah of Birchas Hamazon. The pasuk states (Chapter 8, Pasuk 10), V’Achalta V’Savata U’Verachta es Hashem Elokecha al Ha’Aretz Ha’Tovah Asher Nasan Lach. You should eat and be satiated, and then you shall bless Hashem for the wonderful land He has given you. This follows a few pasukim previous which describe the beauty and the bounty of Eretz Yisrael. And yet after this idyllic picture which culminates with the command to bless and thank Gd for the goodness of the land, the Torah changes gears and starts warning us.
The very next pasuk states, Hishamer Lecha Pen Tisckach es Hashem Elokecha; make sure you don’t forget Hashem. Why is this warning of not getting too complacent and comfortable appear precisely at this juncture? What is the connection between blessing Hashem and forgetting Him?
The Sifri answers our question by stating on our pasuk, Eiyn Adam Moreid Ela Mitoch Sevi’ah. A person only rebels against Hashem from a place of wealth and satisfaction (Rashi brings this Medrash later on the second parsha of Keriyas Shema). Precisely at this point of satiation the Torah reminds the individual to remember Hashem as the source of his bounty and not attribute it to his own prowess.
The Sfas Emes teaches that the value of Birchas Hamazon is twofold. Not only does it keep us from getting too haughty and full of ourselves and from suffering through the ensuing destruction, but we also receive blessing just from the eating itself. And where is there an indication of the blessing one can receive?
One of the pasukim before the mitzvah of Birchas Hamazon states (Chapter 8, Pasuk 3), Ki Lo al Ha’Lechem Levado Yichyeh Ha’Adam, Ki al Kol Motza Pi Hashem Yichyeh Ha’Adam. Man cannot live on bread alone, but rather on the words which come from the mouth of Hashem he shall live. What does this pasuk mean? The Sfas Emes brings the Arizal who explains that food doesn’t only provide us with physical sustenance; it provides us with spiritual sustenance as well. He explains the Motza Pi Hashem as the words of Hashem with which He created the world, as Chazal teach in Avos (Chapter 5, Mishnah 1), B’Asarah Ma’amaros Nivra Ha’Olam. The Koach of the Ma’amaros of Hashem when He created our food sources are still found in the food today and are accessed by making brachos. When we say Baruch Atah Hashem with proper intention, we are able to activate the Motza Pi Hashem contained within the food. And we need this spiritual sustenance from food as much as we need the physical sustenance.
The Sfas Emes teaches in different places the principal that the mitzvos of Shabbos of Shamor and Zachor are a paradigm for the entire Torah. On Shabbos we have the positive command of Zachor to remember Shabbos with our mouths by saying words of Kiddush. And we also have the negative command of Shamor to keep Shabbos in our hearts and fulfill the negative command of refraining from melachah on Shabbos. And the mitzvah of Birchas Hamazon has these components as well. The positive command of V’Achalta V’Savata U’Veirachta; using our mouths to say the bracha properly in order to access the spiritual component of food, Penimiyus Ha’Mazon. And the negative command of Hishamer Lecha of keeping in our hearts the awareness that all our bounty comes from Hashem.
This structure of Shamor V’Zachor is a fundamental principle of the entire Torah. The positive commands we perform enable us to access the Kedushah found everywhere in the physical world. And the negative commands we keep are in order to distance us from all evils.
And this is why in bentching we must mention Bris and Torah in the second bracha in order to fulfill the mitzvah of Birchas Hamazon. It is through the Koach of Torah, of Shamor and Zachor, that enables us to benefit from the physical world. Firstly, to eat and not be carried away from the extreme physical nature of eating. And additionally, it is through this Koach of positive commands of Torah, that by opening our mouths and saying His name with kavanah we are able to access the holiness of Hashem contained within the physical. Ki al Kol Motza Pi Hashem Yichyeh Ha’Adam; and this is our ultimate sustenance.
Good Shabbos
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