LIVING WITH THE MESSAGE OF BENTCHING
Eikev
The Mitzvah of Bentching is sourced in this week’s Parsha. Bentching is made up of 3 Biblically required blessings and a 4th Rabbinic blessing.
The first blessing is the Bracha of הזן—for the sustenance that Hashem has given us. We conclude this blessing הזן את הכל, that Hashem sustains all. The second blessing is for the land of Israel. We conclude this blessing על הארץ ועל המזון, for the land and for the sustenance.
Why do we need to mention sustenance in the conclusion of the second blessing if we have just recited the first blessing which is for our sustenance?
The Gemara also asks how we can conclude a blessing “for the land and for the sustenance” against the principle that we do not combine two (unrelated) things in one Bracha. The Gemara answers that they are not meant as two separate things. The intention is a blessing for “the land that gives forth food”.
But our first question still remains. Why mention food again in the blessing for the land at all?
To understand this, we need to look at when these blessing were composed and by whom.
The Gemara teaches that the first blessing was composed by Moshe when the Manna fell for the Jewish people in the desert. The second blessing was composed by Yehoshua when the Jewish people entered Eretz Yisroel.
Now it starts to make sense. The sustenance that we describe in the first Bracha of Bentching is a text that relates to Manna - “Bread from Heaven”. Our reference to food in the second blessing refers to “Bread from the earth” - that is brought forth from the land.
But why do we still say Moshe’s formula when we do not eat the “Bread from Heaven”?
One possible explanation can be found in a cryptic saying of the Rebbe Maharash that Parnassa today is the secret of the Manna.
When the Jewish people received the Manna from Heaven each day, it was clear that their Parnassa came from Hashem.
They did not need to worry. They would receive exactly what they needed. Nothing they could do could get them any more or cause them to end up with any less.
Now we need to work for our Parnassa. It is easy to come to the mistaken feeling that we are in control of our Parnassa and that we need to worry about it. Reciting the blessing composed for the Manna in our Bentching serves as a perpetual reminder that our Parnassa is just like the Manna; guaranteed from Heaven in just the right measure.
We can also explain it with a slightly different approach. The Manna, which fell from Heaven, represents transcendent G-dly experience. It is beyond the world and beyond our actions and efforts. “Bread from the earth” needs the toil and work of man; to plough, sow, harvest, grind, sift, knead and bake.
The Manna represents our spiritual experiences of Davening, learning, Shabbos and Yomtov, when we escape the world and unite with Hashem.
“Bread of the earth” represents our involvements in the mundane, physical side of our lives. This too is supposed to be in the service of Hashem. We engage with the world for the purpose of transforming it to be a dwelling place for Hashem. We do this by having proper Kavanah Lshem Shamaim in what we do and by ensuring that our business dealings and the like are done in accordance with Halacha.
But it is very easy to get lost in the mundane, pursuing wealth and physicality as an ends to itself, devoid of G-dly purpose. Instead of lifting the world up, the world can Shlepp us down. Before we engage with the Avodah of “Bread of the earth” we need to connect with the “Bread from Heaven”.
In the macro-sense this was reflected in the sojourn of the Jewish people for 40 years in the desert when they ate the Manna. In the desert, they were completely detached from the world and immersed in Torah study. But this was only the necessary preparation and fortification for the next phase of entering Eretz Yisroel. The Manna would cease and they would need to start to work in the world where the true purpose of Creation would be actualised.
Each day we replicate this progression. At the start of the day we connect ourselves upwards through Davening. After Davening we should spend some time in Torah study. Only then, having eaten our fill of “Manna”, can we enter the world of “Bread of the earth” and be successful in our efforts.
Each time we Bentch, reciting the blessing composed for the Manna followed by the blessing for earthly bread, we remind ourselves of this important message. With this in mind, we will be successful in both our spiritual Parnassa and our physical one.
The first blessing is the Bracha of הזן—for the sustenance that Hashem has given us. We conclude this blessing הזן את הכל, that Hashem sustains all. The second blessing is for the land of Israel. We conclude this blessing על הארץ ועל המזון, for the land and for the sustenance.
Why do we need to mention sustenance in the conclusion of the second blessing if we have just recited the first blessing which is for our sustenance?
The Gemara also asks how we can conclude a blessing “for the land and for the sustenance” against the principle that we do not combine two (unrelated) things in one Bracha. The Gemara answers that they are not meant as two separate things. The intention is a blessing for “the land that gives forth food”.
But our first question still remains. Why mention food again in the blessing for the land at all?
To understand this, we need to look at when these blessing were composed and by whom.
The Gemara teaches that the first blessing was composed by Moshe when the Manna fell for the Jewish people in the desert. The second blessing was composed by Yehoshua when the Jewish people entered Eretz Yisroel.
Now it starts to make sense. The sustenance that we describe in the first Bracha of Bentching is a text that relates to Manna - “Bread from Heaven”. Our reference to food in the second blessing refers to “Bread from the earth” - that is brought forth from the land.
But why do we still say Moshe’s formula when we do not eat the “Bread from Heaven”?
One possible explanation can be found in a cryptic saying of the Rebbe Maharash that Parnassa today is the secret of the Manna.
When the Jewish people received the Manna from Heaven each day, it was clear that their Parnassa came from Hashem.
They did not need to worry. They would receive exactly what they needed. Nothing they could do could get them any more or cause them to end up with any less.
Now we need to work for our Parnassa. It is easy to come to the mistaken feeling that we are in control of our Parnassa and that we need to worry about it. Reciting the blessing composed for the Manna in our Bentching serves as a perpetual reminder that our Parnassa is just like the Manna; guaranteed from Heaven in just the right measure.
We can also explain it with a slightly different approach. The Manna, which fell from Heaven, represents transcendent G-dly experience. It is beyond the world and beyond our actions and efforts. “Bread from the earth” needs the toil and work of man; to plough, sow, harvest, grind, sift, knead and bake.
The Manna represents our spiritual experiences of Davening, learning, Shabbos and Yomtov, when we escape the world and unite with Hashem.
“Bread of the earth” represents our involvements in the mundane, physical side of our lives. This too is supposed to be in the service of Hashem. We engage with the world for the purpose of transforming it to be a dwelling place for Hashem. We do this by having proper Kavanah Lshem Shamaim in what we do and by ensuring that our business dealings and the like are done in accordance with Halacha.
But it is very easy to get lost in the mundane, pursuing wealth and physicality as an ends to itself, devoid of G-dly purpose. Instead of lifting the world up, the world can Shlepp us down. Before we engage with the Avodah of “Bread of the earth” we need to connect with the “Bread from Heaven”.
In the macro-sense this was reflected in the sojourn of the Jewish people for 40 years in the desert when they ate the Manna. In the desert, they were completely detached from the world and immersed in Torah study. But this was only the necessary preparation and fortification for the next phase of entering Eretz Yisroel. The Manna would cease and they would need to start to work in the world where the true purpose of Creation would be actualised.
Each day we replicate this progression. At the start of the day we connect ourselves upwards through Davening. After Davening we should spend some time in Torah study. Only then, having eaten our fill of “Manna”, can we enter the world of “Bread of the earth” and be successful in our efforts.
Each time we Bentch, reciting the blessing composed for the Manna followed by the blessing for earthly bread, we remind ourselves of this important message. With this in mind, we will be successful in both our spiritual Parnassa and our physical one.