Much has
been said about whether a person should eat or drink before davening in the
morning. Among the considerations is the classic “Do you eat to daven or daven
to eat,” or in other words, are you taking a little nourishment before davening
so that you have the energy and are not distracted, and can daven with greater
concentration, or are you just rushing through your davening—hungry or not—so
that you can eat as soon as possible? The opinion that spoke to me (and this is
just me) was that black coffee is pretty much accepted by most, which for me is
a great thing, because I have loved black coffee for many, many years.
This
morning, as I enjoyed that first (actually second) cup of coffee and was
beginning to focus on my davening, I recalled the lessons from Rabbi Weinberg
on the bracha of Shehakol Nihyeh Bi’dvaro (see REVERSE RIPPLE)
and Borei Pri Ha’eitz (see ORANGE CONCENTRATE).
We
learned of the exponentially expanding pieces that set the stage prior to
enjoying a simple cup of coffee, l’havdil, sort of like was depicted in
the film “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button;” and to fully appreciate, using
multiple senses, the beauty of Hashem’s creations in a mindful way prior to
partaking of them.
In some
ways, the Borei Nefashot is parallel to the Shahakol bracha.
While Shehakol is recited over multiple foods that do not fit into the
specific categories of bread, grains, wine, vegetables, or fruits, we learned
that the simple basic life-giving glass of water is assigned the bracha
of Shehakol. Perhaps Borei Nefashot actually has the same level
of importance. (Actually, every bracha has great importance.)
Looking
at the bracha:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְ‑יָ אֱ‑לֹהֵינוּ
מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא נְפָשׁוֹת רַבּוֹת וְחֶסְרוֹנָן
.עַל כָּל מַה שֶׁבָּרָאתָּ
לְהַחֲיוֹת בָּהֶם נֶפֶשׁ כָּל חָי בָּרוּךְ חֵי הָעוֹלָמִים
Blessed are You, our Lord and God,
King of the universe, Creator of numerous living beings and what they are
lacking, for all that You have created in order to sustain the life of every
living being.
Blessed is He who is the Life of the worlds.
What
strikes me is that we are expressing gratitude, not for the food that we have
eaten or water we have drunk, but for the creation of all living beings; not
just for the creation of all living beings, but for what we are lacking! And we
are not just acknowledging the creation of all living things and what they are
lacking, but we seem to be recognizing that all livings things—and that
which they are lacking—are essential to sustaining and giving life to our
world.
How is
this so?
We look
around these days and it is not difficult to see people who are in need. They
might be lonely, ill, in search of peace… the list of needs can be endless and
those in need often fall by the wayside like a food that has no category, no
unique bracha. This creates an opportunity for us to be sustainers of
life through our acts of chesed, our lovingkindness. And this
opportunity for us to emulate Hashem in caring for others is what gives us life
and sustains us.
As we
recite the bracha of Borei Nefashot, may we become sustainers of
life and be thankful for the simple basic life-giving forces and gifts that
Hashem has given us, and may we express this gratitude in our love and care for
others.
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