The Eliyahu Rabba (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 170) makes the following important points about eating:

a. A person’s personal meal can be turned into a Seudas Mitzvah simply by consciously eating to keep his body strong for Avodas Hashem--not overeating or eating the wrong foods. [Incredibly, your meal then becomes the equivalent of a Chasuna meal or the meal at a Siyum....]

b. If a person overeats, even if it is at a Shabbos meal, he violates three negative prohibitions(!).

c. A form of "Teshuva Meulah" (elevated Teshuva) is when a delectable food or drink is before someone--and it is something that one very much desires--and one refrains from partaking of it, "and this is a Teshuva one can do at any time and is desired by Hashem."

d. When one eats, whether it is a little or full meal, he should eat b’simcha, with joy.

e. It is Derech Eretz not to eat or drink standing, not to wipe the plate clean, not to lick your fingers, and not to eat and abruptly rise.

Hakhel Note: These are methods which relate to the meal itself. We add that one can elevate Bentching itself, in simple and straightforward ways, as well:

a. Rather than acting as a child, and figuring out ways to avoid bentching (a drop less than two slices, and the like), one should view the act of Birchas HaMazon as a privilege and opportunity--the ability to recite four brachos simply because you have eaten a staple such as bread! We can even suggest that Pas Shacharis is so important because it starts off your physical day with a good meal--and a good bentching!

b. Last week, we brought the teaching of the Sefer HaChinuch that one who is careful to bentch with concentration is assured Parnassah in a respectable way all his life. There are great tools to help one bentch with Kavannah. Gadi Pollack’s "Birchas HaMazon" (Feldheim) is beautifully illustrated with pictures, with English translation closely placed next to every phrase, and is an incredible method for increasing your appreciation of Birchas HaMazon. Because it is so colorful, one may mistakenly--very mistakenly--believe that this Bentcher is for children. If it is, it is for the child in each and every one of us. Similarly, perhaps for the more advanced, Rabbi Meir Birnbaum’s Kuntrus Birchas HaMazon provides a phrase-by-phrase translation of Bentching, with commentary and footnotes. The more time and effort one puts into something, the more he can appreciate it. In just a few extra minutes, one can elevate a Mitzvah from the Torah to an infinite degree. Most certainly, you will never be ashamed, or sorry, for it!

c. May we especially suggest that when bentching, one should himself think about the meaning of what he is saying. For instance, when reciting the words "Yisborach Shimcha B’fi Kol Chai--that Hashem’s name should be blessed by all of the living"--what is one referring to--all human beings? All animals and other creatures, as per Perek Shira?.... As we have noted in a previous Bulletin, the Yesod V’Shoresh HoAvoda in his Tzavooh (will) to his children, writes that he would daven before bentching that no one would knock on his door and disturb him or his Kavannah…and with good reason.

Let us take the time out to eat--and to bentch--in a manner which befits the Tzelem Elokim that we each represent--and that we each are!

--------------------------

Hakhel MIS

--------------------------