For the Ilui Neshama of
Avraham ben Ester ZT’L & Yissachar ben Yona Z’L.
[Yesterday’s CLD]
In Masechet Berakhot, the first tractate in the Talmud,
there is a teaching that one should not eat before they learn, as it says in
Parashat Kedoshim (The Book of VaYikrah), Lo
Tochlu Al HaDam, Do
Not Eat on The Blood. Our Hachamim (Sages) learn from this
that before one eats, they should pray on their own flesh and blood. The
Hachamim continue in Masechet Berakhot (10b) that this directly connects to one’s
Ga’ava and shows that one has this
horrible trait of self-pride (or boastfulness) that is despised by Hashem and
the Tanach (which is packed with verses against this attitude).
The Ben Ish Hai in his famous book on the Shas, Ben Yehoyada on this page of Berakhot
discusses this teaching and asks what this has to do with one being a Ga’avtan (filled with self-pride)? He continues
to say that the reason why one should pray before they eat or drink is to show
that without food, drink and money to buy anything, I show that everything is
from Hashem. He brings a beautiful mashal
that must be shared. There was once a man who received a large fortune from the
king of the country that was given in the beginning of the year every year of
his reign. The individual is financed and supported fully from the king and the
fortune was enough to support him for everyday. Before going to the marketplace
to buy food, drink and clothing, this man would walk out of his way and stand
for a couple seconds in the garden of the palace and then would continue to the
shuk (the market).
His friend in the marketplace would see him come later than
other people everyday and found out this individual would go to the king’s
palace, stand there like a fool for a couple seconds and only then would arrive
at the store. He asked him, my dear friend, why do you go out of your way
completely without any reason?! He answered: even though I take out money from
my own pocket every morning and buy my necessities, in the end of the day these
coins and bills do not belong to me and even though my family and friends see
me take out the money from my own pocket. Therefore, every morning I walk to
the palace to remind myself and to remind my family that we have financial
security from the king.
The nimshal
(lesson) is obvious. Everyday we need to come to The King’s Palace, the Bet Kenesset (synagogue), to pray for
our needs, to show even though I take out money from my own bank account and my
own wallet, really in the end of the day it comes from Hashem’s table of
fortune and rahamim (mercy). The Ben Ish Hai ends that because of this act of
remembering where the money comes from, this individual will never stop
appreciating life and all the good Hashem does for him. Therefore, an
individual who eats before praying in the morning is showing that he thinks his
own strength and power caused him to bring food to the table. This is why
Hashem teaches us through our Sages in the Talmud that one who does not pray
before they eat is the ultimate Ga’avtan,
the haughty individual.
Judaism=Think.
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