With the right focus, eating won't diminish us, but elevate us
“How come people need to ask, ‘Did anyone notice if I bentshed? I’m not sure if I did,’ ” Rav Noah Weinberg ztz”l used to ask, “but they never have difficulty remembering if they witnessed last night’s thunderstorm?”
Rav Noah’s comment brings to mind the Kotzker Rebbe’s puzzlement at the fact that our yiras Shamayim is largely unaffected by Bircas Hamazon, while the concept of Grace after Meals served as a highly effective kiruv tool in Avraham Avinu’s renowned inn. After serving his guests, Avraham would encourage them to thank not him, but their Creator, the true Source of the food they’d eaten.
It’s noteworthy that the mitzvah of Bircas Hamazon is the only brachah (with the exception of Bircas HaTorah, according to many opinions) that’s d’Oraisa. Its format also sets it apart from other brachos, as it’s composed of four different brachos and numerous paragraphs.
The first time I taught Bircas Hamazon to a class of newcomers to Yiddishkeit, they all wanted to know why it was so lengthy. “How long,” they asked, “does it take to say ‘thank You’ for the food we’ve eaten?”
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