Shemoneh Esrei 15: Should You Enjoy Eating?
מכלכל חיים בחסד
He sustains the living with kindness
Man cannot live without nutrition, but that nutrition can come in many forms. Nowadays, we see that man can live without food, instead ingesting vitamins and various tasteless nutritional supplements. We should contemplate the great chesed of Hashem in providing nourishment in the form of the tasty food we eat rather than tasteless capsules. Hashem could have simply provided us with our meals in pills. Instead, HaKadosh Baruch Hu created thousands of varying types of food, each with unique taste, scent, color, texture, and shape. Men generally focus on the taste and aroma. Women also focus on the appearance. Hashem created food with something appealing for everyone. This is the meaning of “מכלכל חיים בחסד” – even the way Hashem nourishes us is with an abundance of chesed [Yalkut Katan, quoted by Tal’lei Oros].
In T’hilim 38:10, David HaMelech says “ה', נגדך כל תאותי – Hashem, negd’cha chol taavasi (Hashem, before You is all my yearning).” Rabbeinu Yonah (on Avos 4:21) quotes this pasuk and explains that David HaMelech was saying that all of his desires were strictly towards Shamayim (“negd’cha” – towards You, Hashem). This can be applied to our eating. We can eat out of desire for the sake of pure pleasure, or we can eat for the sake of Hashem. We can also practice prishus – separating from eating anything beyond the barest, blandest foods – eating just to receive the nourishment we require.
Which is a greater level: eating something tasty for the sake of Hashem (to be able to thank and praise Hashem for the tasty food, in addition to the nourishment) or practicing prishus? The M’silas Y’sharim and others teach us that if one can reach the level (after being able to practice prishus) of taharah (doing something purely for the sake of serving Hashem), that is the higher level. In this case, then, eating for the sake of thanking and praising Hashem would be the higher level. Most find this level very challenging and see it as unattainable. While we may be very far from either prishus or taharah, we can endeavor before, during, or after eating, to focus on appreciating and thanking Hashem with our hearts for the delicious food we eat. This is a beginning, starting down the road of prishus and/or taharah.
סומך נופלים, ורופא חולים, ומתיר אסורים
supports the fallen, heals the sick, releases the confined
The Gemara (N’darim 48a) says that the miracle of healing the sick is greater than the miracle of saving Chananyah, Mishael, and Azaryah, who were unharmed after being thrown into fire. Even so, why are supporting the fallen, healing the sick, and releasing the confined all listed in this brachah, which discusses reviving the dead? We can clearly derive from the placement of these items in this brachah that each of these is at least the equivalent of T’chiyas HaMeisim [Maharam mi’Rutenberg, quoted by Tal’lei Oros].
Perhaps we can suggest contemplating this the next time Hashem heals us or lifts us out of a falling state.
ומקים אמונתו לישני עפר
and maintains His faith to those asleep in the dust
“ישני עפר” refers to the “ישני חברון,” those who sleep in Chevron – the Avos [Ri ben Yakar, rebbe of the Ramban, based on the Gemara Yoma 28b – quoted by Tal’lei Oros]. T’chiyas HaMeisim is derived from p’sukim in the Torah. D’varim 11:21 states: “אשר נשבע ה' לאבתיכם לתת להם – that Hashem has sworn to your ancestors to give to them” (from K’rias Shema). The pasuk does not say lachem – that you who are living now will receive the land. The Torah says lahem – the Avos will receive the land. Implicit in the promise of Hashem is the assurance of T’chiyas HaMeisim (Gemara Sanhedrin 90b, with explanation by the Gryz [HaGaon Rav Yitzchak Zev Soloveitchik], quoted by Tal’lei Oros).