Transforming the Food We Eat into a Holy and Spiritual Experience

By Daniel Keren

One of the featured speakers at the recent Martin Luther King Jr. Hakhel Yarchei Kallah Event in Flatbush was Rabbi Benzion Schiffenbauer, Rav of K’hal Bnei Torah Bais Naftali. The topic of his lecture was “The Halachos of Brachos in Everyday Life.”

Rabbi Schiffenbauer noted that so much of Yiddishkeit is based on food which appears at first glance to be so gashmius (materialistic) and that seems to be the opposite of our goal to be more ruchnius (spiritual).

The Tikun for the First Aveira of Adah Harishon

The Ben Ish Chai (Chacham Yosef Hayyim of Baghdad, 1832-1909) explains that the first aveira (sin) of mankind was Adam Harishon’s eating of the forbidden fruit [of the tree of the knowledge of good and bad.] Therefore, our tikun (spiritual remedy of that sin] is to utilize wine [and other types of food] in an elevated ruchnius, spiritual manner.

You can, Rabbi Schiffenbauer noted, enjoy wine by utilizing all five senses – (1) by seeing the drink, (2) feeling the cup in your hand, (3) smelling the fragrance of the wine, (4) hearing the wine [by clicking your cup to another person’s cup] and (5) tasting the wine when we finally drink this special beverage.

When one does this, we should reflect on the gift of these five senses that Hashem has given us to enjoy. At least once a day, perhaps when we have our first cup of coffee, we should focus our mind on thanking Hashem for the gift of being able to appreciate our five senses [that enhance the quality of our lives.]

Rabbi Schiffenbauer told of the famous story of Rav Yisroel Salanter, 1810-1883, founder of the mussar, ethic movement. He once was in Paris, the famous cosmopolitan capital of France. He entered a fancy hotel and a waiter brought him to a table and asked him what he would like to order. Rav Salanter asked for a cup of water, which was brought to him along with a very hefty bill.

The Explanation for the Bill for the Very Expensive Cup of Water

When Rav Salanter expressed his shock at the very expensive bill for a seemingly simple cup of water, the waiter explained to him that he was not paying just for a simple cup of water. Did not the rav notice the beautiful architecture of the hotel? Did the rav not notice the orchestra playing beautiful music for his pleasure? Did not the rav notice the array of especially selected beautiful paintings by world famous artists? Did not the rav notice that the waiter brought him the water with fancy white gloves and a beautiful glass?

Yes, Rav Salanter later told his students that this was an important lesson. Hashem has given us a beautiful world and do we appreciate how much He has done to make our life enjoyable. Therefore, we owe Him the same thank you (shehakol) for an expensive steak as for the brocha one makes for a free cup of water. Without the cup of water, we can’t live. You can’t have just other types of food without the simple refreshing and life-sustaining water.

When it comes to thanking a person, Rabbi Schiffenbauer said that one has a responsibility to focus on what you are thanking that person for. And this is especially true when it comes to expressing our appreciation to Hashem.

In the Gemara, we learn that in the Days after the coming of Moshiach, we will be soveah, satisfied with eating just a little bit of food. The Rambam says that the concept of soveah, being satisfied is dependent on one’s mind. The rabbis teach us that the concept of soveah is in our power to define.

How to Eliminate the Danger of Gaivah from Food

Food (especially fancy foods) brings one to the danger of gaivah (arrogance). That is why we bentch, bless Hashem for the food that He has given us so that we realize that the food comes from Hashem and not from our own power [and culinary talents.]

The Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan in his classic sefer the Mishnah Berurah, teaches that if at a meal the host brings you an apple, if while you are still eating that initial apple, you are also brought an orange or grapes, you are able to eat those new fruits of the tree without having to make a second borei pri ha’eitz blessing since that original apple upon which you made that original blessing is still in existence and you can consider those additional fruits to have been included in the first blessing you made for the “fruit of the tree.”

However, if the first fruit was completely consumed and you are now offered an orange or a cluster of graspes, the Mishnah Berurah rules that a second blessing of borei pri ha’eitz is required.

Reprinted from the February 20, 2025 edition of the Flatbush Jewish Journal.