In this week’s Parsha we have the Mitzva of Bircas Hamazon the blessing we have to make after we have eaten bread.
This Berocho is Min Hatorah and therefore the Halacha is that if someone ate bread and isn’t sure if they said Bircas Hamazon or not, they must go and recite Bircas Hamazon.
Unlike other blessings if a person is in doubt if they made a Berocho. Since all other Berochos are Mideraban (from our Rabbis) therefore ‘Safek Berochos lehokel’ – if we have a doubt about a Berocho we are lenient and the person does not need to recite the Berocho again.
To most of us these Halachos are quite applicable, to some more often and to some less.
Rabbi Moshe Sofer, the Chasam Sofer was Rabbi of Pressburg and also the Rosh Yeshiva of the famous Pressburg Yeshiva.
After giving his daily Shiur in Yeshiva he would go into his study and spend time attending to communal matters. He also wrote Teshuvos (answers) to the many difficult Halachic questions that were sent to him from all over.
His attendant would bring a plate of cake which he would eat whilst engrossed in his studies. To be honest he didn’t take much notice of what food he was eating as he was so engrossed in his studies.
The Chasam Sofer’s attendant looked at the cake and was very disappointed. Such delicious cake deserved some thought and attention. The Rav was missing the enjoyment and pleasure of the fresh tasty cake. The young boy decided to be kind to the cake and eat it with full attention, deriving the maximum pleasure from the tasty cake. The boy quietly took the plate outside, sat down and scraped the plate clean.
That was a good plate of cake.
He took the empty plate with a few remaining crumbs and put it back next to his Rebbi.
After some time the Chasam Sofer finished his studies, looked at the plate, turned to his attendant and asked him, “where is the cake?”
The boy was taken aback but quickly replied, “the Rebbi ate it, doesn’t the Rebbi remember?”
What Chutzpa!
The Chasam Sofer replied, “the truth is I don’t remember if I ate or not, I was too engrossed in the difficult questions sent to me.”
The boy gave a sigh of relief.
Parshas Eikev 5784
BS"D
By Rabbi Dovid Caro
“But,” continued the Chasam Sofer, “one thing I do know for sure, that I never made a blessing. So if I never made a Berocho then I never ate!”
The Chasam Sofer didn’t remember if he ate but he did remember if he had made a Berocho.
And what about us?
We remember if we ate but we can’t always remember if we made a Berocho.
Why?
The answer is simple. What is important to us we remember and what isn’t so important we can forget. The difference between the Chasam Sofer and us is what is important and what isn’t. His head was in Berochos and ours in the food!
The Chasam Sofer ate but his head was completely engrossed in his studies. We eat and where is our mind and thoughts when we eat?
The Great Rabbi Aharon from Karlin was sitting at the table, surrounded by many of his followers. He took an apple, made a Berocho and started eating. One of his followers started thinking to himself, the Rebbe is no different to him. Even though he is so great, he eats, drinks, sleeps and is having an apple just like him.
The holy Rebbe sensed what he was thinking, turned his head towards him and started saying aloud.
"I am thinking to myself, what is the difference between you and me. I eat an apple, you eat an apple. I make a Berocho and so do you. So what is the difference between us?
There is a person, he walks on the street and he sees a beautiful apple tree, full of fresh, big delicious sweet apples. He is so taken aback by the amazing tree and thinks to himself, "Ma rabbu ma'asecha Hashem" - "how great are the doings of Hashem." But the Tzaddik hasn't calmed down, he desperately wants to express himself and say a Berocho. However he knows that one must not say a Berocho in vein so he takes an apple and with great concentration he makes a Berocho to thank Hashem for such a wonderful creation.
You also go out in the morning and see the same delicious apples on the tree. You turn to Hashem and say "Hashem I really want to taste and enjoy such fresh juicy apple!" However, you don't have any money on you, so you go to work and earn some money. At the end of the day you buy the food for your family and ten apples. You come home, put the apples on the table and prepare yourself to enjoy the delicious fruit. However, as my follower you know that you may not eat without making a Berocho, so you make a Berocho.
So the difference between us is that I eat to be able to make a Berocho and thank Hashem and you eat make a Berocho to be able to enjoy the apple!"
Chances are Rabbi Aharon Karliner didn’t forget if he made a Berocho and his Chassid didn’t forget if he had eaten the apple!
