In the zchus of my beloved עין איה skype chavrusa - R' Aharon Yisrael ben R' Moshe Mordechai Shlita and his dear beloved family.
The gemara [Brachos 35] asks how we know that we must make a bracha? The gemara answers that the pasuk קדש הלולים להשם [a pasuk that is talking about eating the fruits of a tree in the 4th year of its growth and says that it is "holy praises of Hashem" in the plural] teaches us that two brachos are required, one before eating and one after eating. From here Rebbi Akiva said that one must make a bracha before he tastes food.
A few questions:
1] Why is eating called "kedusha" - קודש הילולים להשם? What is holy about eating? Holy is fasting!!!
2] Why are two brachos necessary, one before eating and one after? One should be enough! Why is being religious so DIFFICULT??!!:-)
The gemara [Brachos 35] asks how we know that we must make a bracha? The gemara answers that the pasuk קדש הלולים להשם [a pasuk that is talking about eating the fruits of a tree in the 4th year of its growth and says that it is "holy praises of Hashem" in the plural] teaches us that two brachos are required, one before eating and one after eating. From here Rebbi Akiva said that one must make a bracha before he tastes food.
A few questions:
1] Why is eating called "kedusha" - קודש הילולים להשם? What is holy about eating? Holy is fasting!!!
2] Why are two brachos necessary, one before eating and one after? One should be enough! Why is being religious so DIFFICULT??!!:-)
3] What is Rebbi Akiva adding to the gemara?
Eating IS holy. Holiness is elevating our physical pleasures and needs to a place of spirituality and that is what we are doing when we make a bracha. We make a bracha prior to eating to thank Hashem for the wonderful world He created regardless of whether we personally benefit. We make a bracha AFTER we eat in order to thank Hashem for our own personal pleasure.
These brachos increase our level of pleasure because we add a spiritual element to our physical-sensual enjoyment. It creates the "complete experience".
Rebbe Akiva adds: Not only do we make a bracha and show our appreciation for Hashem when we have nutritional benefit but we also thank Him for pure pleasure. That is "tasting". We just want to enjoy the taste without actually eating much. To be holy is to taste [like those ice cream stores of my youth - they probably still exist - where they gave you free tastes of all of the various flavors. YUM-YUM!!] food just for the sake of pleasure and connect that pleasure to Hashem.
Being religious might require more effort than the alternative but enhances our lives including our raw physical pleasure.
Eating IS holy. Holiness is elevating our physical pleasures and needs to a place of spirituality and that is what we are doing when we make a bracha. We make a bracha prior to eating to thank Hashem for the wonderful world He created regardless of whether we personally benefit. We make a bracha AFTER we eat in order to thank Hashem for our own personal pleasure.
These brachos increase our level of pleasure because we add a spiritual element to our physical-sensual enjoyment. It creates the "complete experience".
Rebbe Akiva adds: Not only do we make a bracha and show our appreciation for Hashem when we have nutritional benefit but we also thank Him for pure pleasure. That is "tasting". We just want to enjoy the taste without actually eating much. To be holy is to taste [like those ice cream stores of my youth - they probably still exist - where they gave you free tastes of all of the various flavors. YUM-YUM!!] food just for the sake of pleasure and connect that pleasure to Hashem.
Being religious might require more effort than the alternative but enhances our lives including our raw physical pleasure.
[One may add many other examples. One is the Torah framework for intimacy. פוק חזי. People who don't have it get bored quickly.]
"כיצד מברכין כו' מנא ה"מ דת"ר קודש הלולים לד', מלמד שטעונין ברכה לפניהם ולאחריהם, מכאן אר"ע אמור לאדם שיטעום כלום קודם שיברך".
הקודש מורה שיהי' האדם מבקש ההנאה האנושית-הרוחנית גם בכל הדברים הגשמיים, ע"כ ראוי שיותר יתענג על הידיעה במעשה ד', ביצירת כל דבר שהוא נהנה ממנו לרומם את נפשו האנושית, ממה שיתענג על ההנאה החושית. וראוי שתהי' ההשקפה הרוחנית חודרת על חסדי ד' וחכמתו בעצם היצירה זולת מה שהדבר נוגע לו, וזוהי ברכה שלפניה. וברכה שלאחריה, ההכרה בחסד במה שנוגע לנפשו ועמידתו וקיומו ע"י מוצא פי ד'. ובכלל היא הכרת-טובה מפני ההנאה והעונג זולת הקיום והתועלת הנמשך מזה, שהוא כולל ג"כ ההכרה של הטובה של ההנאה הרוחנית מההשכלה אל חכמת היצירה, לדעת כפי כחו את מעשה ד' כי נורא הוא ונעשה בחכמה ורב חסד, וההכרה של טובת הקיום הנמשך מהמזון אל האדם. ע"כ אסור לאדם שיטעום כלום קודם שיברך. כי גם הנאת הטעימה, העונג המשותף אל הקיום, ראוי לברך עליו, אם כי ראוי תמיד להכיר את ההנאה כמצורפת אל התכלית של הקיום. ונראה דאע"ג דמטעמת א"צ ברכה , היינו בשאין הכונה כ"א לדעת הטעם ולא ליהנות, שהרי י"א דגם בבולע ג"כ דינא הכי. אבל הטועם כדי להנות ראוי שיברך על ההנאה לבדה, שעל זאת ההכרה נוסדה ברכה שלפניה. ודייק מזה ר"ע אסור לאדם שיטעום כלום קודם שיברך.
[עין איה]
