The Mishna Brura cites that one reason for covering a knife (or removing it from the table) at Birchas Hamazon is based on the following incident. Once a person reached בונה ירושלים in Birchas Hamazon which reminded him of the churban, destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. As a result of the distress over the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, he stabbed himself.
A question arises: if this happened only once, why make a rule to remove the knife?
The Skver Rebbe offers an insightful answer. We are not worried concerned that people today might harm themselves in this way, as the pain of the churban doesn’t affect us so intensely. However, every Jew should know that there was once a Jew who felt the churban so deeply that he actually stabbed himself! Removing the knife serves as a reminder of how profoundly the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash can impact a person. This can help a person become more sensitive to the churban.
Rabbi Alt merited to learn under the tutelage of R’ Mordechai Friedlander ztz”l for close to five years and received semichah from R’ Zalman Nechemia Goldberg ztz”l. Rabbi Alt has written on numerous topics for various websites and publications and is the author of nine books including the recently released “Exhilarating Torah Insights on Recreation and Vacation.” His writings, many of which have been translated into Yiddish, Hebrew, German and French, inspire people across the spectrum of Jewish observance to live with the vibrancy and beauty of Torah. His shiurim can be found on various websites including Kol Halashon’s. Rabbi Alt lives with his wife and family in Kiryat Yearim (where the Aron was for 20 years [Shmuel 1, 7:1,2]) where he studies, lectures, writes and teaches. The author is passionate about teaching Jews of all levels of observance.
