* Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
Yesterday I saw an entire family stop in the middle of a nature hike for lunch and then recite Birkat HaMazon (Grace After Meals) together. They were thanking God for their food, reconnecting it to its true Source.
"You shall eat, be satisfied, and bless" (Deuteronomy 8:10) — this is the Torah source for the mitzvah of Birkat HaMazon, and it appears in this week's Torah portion. According to Jewish law, different foods have different blessings that are recited before and after eating.
Rabbi Aharoni Bernstein offers this beautiful explanation of the mitzvah:
"If we listen to the story that food tells us, we will hear a great deal. God is present everywhere - even on our plates.
We express gratitude for the sights, tastes, and aromas of food through the blessing before eating, when the colorful plate is before us and our stomach is rumbling. Pausing to thank God before eating imparts gevurah — the power of self-mastery, restraint and self-control.
After the meal, when we're already eager to rush on with our day, we pause once again to recite Birkat HaMazon, thanking God for the energy we have received to continue the day. We learn to look back, to appreciate, and to give thanks for the goodness we've experienced.
To bless God before and after eating teaches that delayed gratification ultimately brings a deep sense of fulfillment. Food becomes a bridge between God and us, transforming eating into an experience far richer than simply refueling.
You're invited to give it a try.”
