Page 39 - HaMizrachi #6 TuBishvat 5779

Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi

A CRASH COURSE IN

Jewish Eating

ow does one arouse the We receive the main novelty inherent When do we receive joy and
power of growth? Through in the month of Shvat from the bracha happiness? In the bracha of ה ָי ְ ה ִנ לֹ ּ כ ַ ה ֶ ׁש
H bracha, blessing. Bracha over the fruits of Eretz Yisrael, the ֹור ָ ב ְ ד ִּ ב – that everything came into
upgrades all of reality and particularly Land beyond time – “the eyes of G-d being with His word, because this is
your own private reality. To know how are always on it, from the beginning the bracha that contains everything.
to bless is to know how to add a new of the year to the end of the year.” 2 We all know people – and maybe
dimension to reality. When you eat fruits from Eretz Yisrael, ourselves sometimes – who have

When you hold an apple and eat it you are consuming a part of Divine everything yet are not happy. Many
people are married, but not happy;
without a bracha, what are you eating? Providence, G-d’s benevolent and have children, but are not happy; make
An apple. With Vitamin C, Vitamin A watchful eye. a good living, but are not happy.
and other nutrients.
How does one make the bracha?
לֹ ּ כ ַ ה ֶ ׁש is really everything. When
But when you hold the apple and Hold the fruit in your right hand. Look making this bracha you think to
ְ
make the blessing ּוני ֵ קלֹ ֱ א 'ה ה ָּ ת ַ א ךּור ָּ ב at it when you make the blessing. And yourself, “Creator of the Universe, I
ְ
ץ ֵ ע ָ ה י ִ ר ְּ פ א ֵ ר ֹו ּ ב ם ָ ל ֹוע ָ ה ך ֶ ל ֶ מ, “Blessed are want to be happy with what I have and
You, our G-d, King of the Universe, put your intention into the bracha: “I with what I don’t have.”
who creates the fruit of the tree”, you hereby intend to increase light and
will then not only be eating an apple happiness in the world!” And one final word about brachot, from
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but consuming joie de vivre, health, Why? the Pele Yoetz: “One should be fearful
charm and success, and not just for of putting something in one’s mouth
your body but for your children too, Says Rabbi Wolbe: All darkness in the without a bracha, for if one steals from
for the bracha expands all of your world comes from the lack of blessing. a king, the punishment is death; how
surroundings. Therefore, when you say “Blessed much more so if one steals from the
King of Kings, by not saying a bracha.
are You,” the word You causes G-d
That is why they are called ת ֹוכ ָ ר ְּ ב And food and drink are food for the
ןי ִנ ֱ ה ֶּנ ַ ה, blessings of enjoyment, or to be present where you are, as you body, and brachot are food for the
benefit, says Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe. 1 acknowledge Him. And then, instead soul, which spread abundance on your
Everybody benefits from your bracha. of darkness, you will feel the light of eating and drinking, ‘because Man
And the Mesillat Yesharim writes His face and His blessing upon you. cannot live on bread alone, but from
(chapter 1) that when a person makes And then you eat and win the lottery! everything that emanates from the
a blessing, their entire environment is As it says in Birkat HaMazon (Grace mouth of G-d does Man live’ – from
raised with them. the bracha.”
After Meals), G-d sustains you with
In other words, when you make a charm, kindness, welfare, mercy and In other words, it is the bracha, the
bracha at home, suddenly your son in with many nutrients and vitamins, blessing – not the eating – that gives us
school remembers a correct answer in including: health and life itself!
his test. Your husband suddenly feels a May we all be blessed.
rush of energy at work. A car brakes to • Vitamin A – Ahava (love)
avoid a child on your street. The bracha • Vitamin B – Bitachon (security in
you make perpetuates the good in the G-d) 1 Alei Shor Vol. 2.
world, elevates it and adds to it. As Rav 2 Devarim 11:12.
Chaim of Volozhin writes in Nefesh • Vitamin C – Celebration 3 By Rabbi Eliezer Papo, published in 1824.
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HaChayim, ךּור ָּ ב is not an expression
of request as we are accustomed to • Vitamin D – Dibbur (speaking) Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi is a
think, but an expression of increase about blessing, abundance, popular Israeli teacher, speaker and
and multiplicity. redemption and renewal writer

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