וְאָּכַלְתָּ וְשָּׂבָּעְתָּ ובֵרַכְתָּ... (דברים פרק ח פסוק י)
Ask Around Your Table: Does food that we eat give energy only to our bodies or also to our neshamos?
Answer: A verse in our parsha says: “...in order to make you know that not by bread alone does man live, rather by everything that emanates from the mouth of Hashem does man live.” [Devorim 8:3] Citing the explanation of this verse by the Ariza”l, the Sefas Emes (Eikev 5649) writes that the food has inside of it not only the energy for physical nourishment of the body, it also contains spiritual energy for the nourishment of the soul. But it’s not always accessible, explains the Sefas Emes. One unlocks the spiritual energy contained in the food with the blessings that he says on the food and with the Torah that he learns and teaches at the table where he is eating. Hence, make those blessings and Torah extra powerful, and get the most benefit from your food.
