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OVE STINGS.
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).4.
8/10
2001
56
The Court...All of the grandeur
of fine living in a safe, caring
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and eventually physical hunger.
I think this metaphor works in
another way as well. Consider the
foods that you ate in the past 24
hours. Perhaps even try to list them.
Now, realize just how much intense
labor went into producing, packaging,
shipping and preparing that food. It
takes a lot of effort to feed the human
very time the Torah is read
body! Yet we have become quite adept
for the congregation, a pro-
at making the necessary arrangements
cession of individuals is
to satisfy our physical hunger.
invited up to recite blessings
In contrast, how much effort do we
before and after the chanting. Why do
exert to stoke and satisfy our spiritual
we do this?
needs? How often do we
Three theories exist: The
neglect them until we
blessings, which identify the
become numb to the pain of
Torah as the key to our
a life devoid of deep mean-
covenant and indeed to ever-
ing?
lasting life, were added to
As we prepare for the
give honor to the Torah.
Days of Awe, perhaps we
Another explanation is that
should see ourselves as
the blessings give honor to
migrant laborers in the
the congregation, with its
fields of the spirit. By Rosh
active participation.
Hashanah, we ought to be
My favorite explanation
RABBI DANIEL ready to harvest the fruits of
employs a form of talmudic
our labor. Instead, we often
NEVINS
reasoning known as kal
stand
with our machzor
Special to the
vchomer (minor to major): If
(High Holiday prayer book)
Jewish
News
food, which is our material
empty-hearted, like a farmer
sustenance, requires blessings
with a scythe searching his
before and after eating, how much
unsown field for fruits in the fall.
more so should we bless God for the
The blessing before the Torah
Torah, which is our spiritual suste-
acknowledges our spiritual heritage as
nance!
the key to Israel's covenant with God.
And where is the requirement that
We acknowledge this gift, as we
we bless God for our food? In this
acknowledge the gift of food before
week's Torah portion. "You shall eat,
eating. But the blessing said after read-
be satisfied and bless the Lord your
ing Torah is even more profound. We
God for the good land which He crave
b
praise God for "giving us a teaching of
you" (Deuteronomy 8:10). This is the
truth, and for planting eternal life
source for Birkat HaMazon, the collec
within us." There's the agricultural
tion of blessings said after meals. The
metaphor again! God has planted
blessings before meals are derived by
Torah within each of us, an antidote
the rabbis more indirectly from verses
to all that is false and the key to eter-
like, "the earth is the Lord's, and all
nal life. It is our task to tend that ten-
that it contains." Blessings such as
der plant, to nurture and nourish it
HaMotzi (blessing over bread) are in
with all our might. This is the spiritu-
effect requests for permission to con-
al hunger that must be satisfied. ❑
sume that which belongs to God.
In fact, the physical sustenance of
food and the spiritual sustenance of
Torah are intertwined throughout
our Torah portion. Repeatedly, we
are warned that we may enjoy the
We say that the Torah is a tree of
blessings of the Promised Land only
life for those who cling to it. What ii
on condition that we live a life of
does
it mean to cling to the Torah?
fidelity to God and the command-
Try-
to
identify your best efforts
ments. But should we become arro-
this past year — how can you
gant, abandoning God and relying
build upon them? If the Torah is
solely on ourselves, the land will be
our
spiritual sustenance, how
1
cursed for our intransigence. Put dif-
come
so many Jews seek to sate
ferently, should we neglect our spiri-
that appetite elsewhere? Think of a
tual duties, the result will be spiritual
I
fellow Jew who you can bring clos-
er to Torah this year.
Rabbi Daniel Nevins is a spiritual
Shabbat Ekev:
Deuteronomy
7:12-11:25;
Isaiah 49:14-51:3.
WOODY MEN
DAN AYKROYD
HO HUNT
OHARIllf 'HERON
1.11111
There's A Need To Feed
Our Spiritual Hunger
The Court At West Bloomfield
Owned & Operated by HCR ManorCare
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