In this week’s parsha we have the mitzvah of Birchas Hamazon. It is a mitzvah mid’O’raisa, a mitzvah mandated by the Torah. ואכלת ושבעת וברכת את ה' אלוקיך – “You will eat and you will be satisfied, and you shall bless Hashem your G-d” (Devorim 8:10). All the other berachos (with perhaps the exception of Birchas HaTorah) are Miderabanan, mandated by Chazal. At the time of a terrible plague, Dovid Hamelech instituted to say one hundred berachos every day. While we are on the topic of berachos, it may be a good time for us to give some consideration to our berachos.
Did you ever eat something and a few minutes later ask yourself, “Did I make a berachah rishonah before eating it?” or “Did I recite a beracha acharonah afterwards?” It happens to most of us, if not all of us. Don’t panic! The Shulchan Aruch has got your back. There is an answer for every scenario. It is so refreshing to be aware that the Shulchan Aruch deals with the foibles of people like us.
