By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.
EL CAJON, California — Our parsha this week, Eikev, teaches us that Hashem provided manna from His mouth. “…and then [He] fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your forefathers know, so that He would make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but rather by, whatever comes forth from the mouth of the Lord does man live.” This invites deeper reflection and extends our recent continued look into how Torah builds our foundation for healthy living.
Reb Nosson explains that true sustenance comes not from food itself, but from the spiritual essence Hashem infuses into it. When we consume kosher food and recite the appropriate blessings, we tap into this spiritual nourishment.
Moses, in his profound wisdom from which we benefit in this parsha, guides us towards a deeper understanding of nourishment that transcends the physical realm. He urges us to look beyond the mere tangible aspects of our nutritional sustenance and to perceive the divine essence infused within every morsel.
While acknowledging the importance of understanding the physical composition of food – its organic compounds, molecular structure, and nutritional components like glucose, protein, fiber, and fats – Moses is calling for a higher level of awareness. He’s inviting us to develop a spiritual sensitivity that can discern the intangible, yet vital energy embedded in each grain. Each morsel carries within it a spark of the Hashem’s life-giving force. When we eat with this consciousness, we’re not just consuming calories, but partaking in a sacred act that connects us to the Source of all sustenance.
Moses is essentially advocating for a holistic approach to nourishment, one that feeds both body and soul. Perhaps the Blue Zones lifestyle and longevity movement is aware of this foundation? The Blue Zones’ team notes, “In today’s rapidly changing, digital world, it’s easy to lose touch with our spiritual side. What if there was a means to reconnect with our inner selves and experience a more fulfilling life? The Blue Zones, renowned regions where people live longer, healthier lives, offer valuable insights into unlocking our spiritual potential. By incorporating their wisdom into our daily lives, we can cultivate a thriving body and mind, and embark on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth.”
By cultivating this Torah-anchored awareness, we transform the act of eating into a spiritual practice, a way to draw closer to Hashem and to recognize the miracles that sustain us daily. This perspective elevates our relationship with food from a mundane necessity to a sacred ritual, reminding us that even in the most basic acts of survival, we can connect with Hashem and nourish our spiritual selves.
Our tradition emphasizes that we develop and express gratitude both before and after eating. In our Torah portion this week, the commandment to recite a blessing after eating appears: “When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord.” According to Halakha in the Orach Chayim, we are to leave some bread or food on the table for reciting Birkat HaMazon, the grace after meals. The Mishnah Berura provides three reasons for this practice:
- It reminds us to bless Hashem for all the food and needs He provides.
- Blessings should be made over something tangible, not “over the air.”
- The Talmud (Berakhot 54b) suggests that lingering at the dining table, encouraged by leftover food, can lead to longer life by fostering conversation and connection with friends and family.
For a full meal, we recite Birkat Hamazon afterwards, while shorter blessings suffice for other types of food. Reb Nosson teaches that these blessings provide us with an important reminder to acknowledge Hashem as the source of our sustenance and express gratitude for our satiety. This act of expressing thanks activates a spiritual potential within the food we eat, enhancing our satisfaction and allowing us to fully absorb its divine energy.
In the parsha, we find a profound spiritual truth, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of Hashem.” Just as our physical bodies engage in complex processes when we eat, our souls partake in a more transcendent nourishment. The Torah reveals that our true-life force emanates not merely from physical food, but from the very mouth of Hashem. How can we comprehend this?
When we attune ourselves to Hashem’s word, when we immerse our minds and hearts in Torah study, and when we infuse our daily actions with divine consciousness – it is then that we tap into the wellspring of spiritual vitality. The Torah, as the living word of Hashem, becomes the conduit through which we receive our most essential nourishment.
By recognizing the spiritual essence within all creation and actively seeking connection with the Hashem, we elevate the act of eating into a sacred ritual. Each morsel becomes an opportunity to draw closer to the Source of all life, transforming our meals into moments of profound spiritual significance.
There is the story of Rav Moshe Feintein’s z”l great nephew who was once having dinner with the great Rav. After Shabbat, he walked the elderly Rav Moshe back to his room. About eight feet or so before they reached his bedroom, the Rav asked him to stop to he could walk unassisted the rest of the way. When hearing this, Rav Shlomo Freifeld explained that Rav Feinstein’s behavior was in reference to the teaching of Chazal that says it is beneficial for one’s health to walk four amos after a meal.
We can learn from this how careful the Rav was with every detail when it came to doing mitzvot. Being honest, many of us might consider this to be a small detail, and if one needs help, one will ignore this. However, Rav Moshe understood that even though he may well have been exempt from this mitzvah, due to his age and frailty, the importance of the mitzvah could not be diminished.
In this light, the blessings we recite before and after eating take on new depth. They are not mere words, but keys that unlock the spiritual potential within our food, allowing us to absorb not just physical nutrients, but divine energy that sustains our very souls.
If you believe Hashem plays a personal role in your life and you genuinely recognize that whatever you have, no matter how small, comes through His hand, you’re likely to be filled with Hakarat Hatov, recognizing the good, gratitude. Listening to Hashem’s mitzvot, following them with appreciation, leads to rewards.
But look at how we express our gratitude, for example in bentsching. We often just race through it. Notice the difference when you are fortunate enough to be with others who wholly enjoy singing the entire Birkat HaMazon aloud from deep within? There is a far deeper feeling of gratitude than the all too quick racing through the bentsching.
Eating holds a hallowed place in Judaism. It is not a small mitzvah. Far from being a mere biological necessity, it often becomes a mitzvah – a divine commandment and an opportunity to forge a deeper connection with Hashem. We see this elevated status in the joyous meals of Shabbat and Yom Tovim, in the redemptive consumption of matzah at Passover, and in the profound act of partaking in the holy food of sacrifices.
In this light, we commonly reject the notion of “fast food” – a concept that reduces eating to a hurried, mindless act. Instead, we approach each meal with reverence, recognizing that every healthy morsel is infused with sacred and infinite energy. Each bite becomes a meditation, a prayer, a chance to taste the divine presence that permeates all of creation. What we eat, how we eat, with whom we eat, the rituals we bring to our table, extends our lives.
People in Blue Zones areas have a diet that is 95% plant based. Fruits, vegetables, beans, tofu, lentils, nuts, and seeds are rich with disease-fighting nutrients and the cornerstone of the Blue Zone diet. How do these foods align with the Seven Species we read of in our parsha this week, or the Shivat Haminim for which Israel is famous? Wheat, barley, grapes/vines, pomegranates, olives, and dates/honey…hmmm.
The perspective found in Eikev elevates our dining table to a sacred altar, our kitchen to a serene sanctuary, and the act of eating into a divine ritual of worship. It invites us to recognize that within the seemingly ordinary act of simply nourishing our bodies lies the profound opportunity to nourish our souls. As we partake in this sacred act, we engage in the healing of the world and draw ever nearer to Hashem, the Source of all sustenance, embracing the interconnectedness of life and the spiritual connection that flows through each meal.
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Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D., prepares a weekly D’var Torah for Young Israel of San Diego, where he and his family are members. They are also active members of Congregation Adat Yeshurun.