The sages asserted that one who is careful to recite birkat hamazon, will, for the rest of his life receive his sustenance with honor. In this week’s Parasha (Eikev 8:10), it states, ‘And you shall eat, and you shall be satiated, and you shall make a bracha to G-d for the good land which he gave to you’. In the commandment to say birkat hamazon, the Torah makes reference to three things; food (eat), land, and good (tov). From this we learn that this blessing must incorporate acknowledgement of food, the land of Israel and Jerusalem. Thus the obligation to recite the themes contained in the first three brachot is a Torah law (Mede’orisa). The fourth bracha was enacted by the Rabbis (please refer to the first article for an explanation of the first bracha). When the Jews entered Israel, Yehoshua, their leader, instituted the second bracha (nodeh), acknowledging G-d for giving us the land. The Israelites left Egypt and spent forty years in the desert. During that time, they received the Torah and slowly formed a nation. Although Moshe wasn’t able to enter, it was Yehoshua who led them to the Promised Land. The third blessing was instituted by King David when Jerusalem was consecrated as the Holy City. King Solomon added an acknowledgement for the temple when the construction was complete. After the destruction of the first temple, the text was modified to include a plea for the return of Jerusalem and the Temple. This became form of our third bracha, rachem. The Torah connects eating bread to making a birkat hamazon; therefore giving us the positive commandment to say the blessing after eating bread. The amount of bread in which a person eats to require the birkat hamazon is a kezayit (literally, olive size, which is equal to a volume of half an egg, A good example would be a half a slice center of rye bread). Birkat hamazon is only required if the kezayit is eaten within three minutes (but there are conditions and pre-conditions). It’s important to note, satiation is the key factor in determining whether birkat hamazon is Mede’orisa (from the Torah) or Mede’rabanan (Rabbinical) (Mede’orisa tends to be stricter). This concern arises when one doesn’t remember whether he said birkat hamazon or not. If he is full at the time of remembering, then he recites it and if not then he does not. The reason is because the pasuk says ve’savata one should be satiated which would make it Mede’orisa. Another note, since birkat hamazon is a Torah obligation, the sages instituted stringent laws with regard to its recital. One of those requirements is to that birkat hamazon should be said in the place where one ate. The Sages define ‘the place where he ate ‘ to mean any place within the room which he ate (a wedding hall is a prime example). |
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