ORANGE CONCENTRATE

 

 

“Who creates the fruit of the trees.” Seems pretty basic and straightforward. Hashem created the world; Hashem placed fruit-bearing trees in it. We tend the trees, the trees yield fruit ,and we harvest and eat the fruit.

 

It can be pretty easy to limit one’s focus to that alone when making brachot over fruit (or anything else we eat) for that matter. And after years of eating foods, it wouldn’t  be hard for it to become absolutely rote.

 

Rabbi Weinberg^נ׳׳י taught me how to make a bracha based on the approach of his father, Rav Yaakov Weinberg^זצ׳׳ל . The idea is to first know how to eat—pretty much an exercise in mindfulness—and by example, specifically, how to eat an orange.

 

The intent is to fully appreciate every aspect of the orange before making a bracha and taking that first bite—the color; its symmetrical, beautiful shape; the unique smooth or slightly bumpy texture. Then you’re ready to maybe dig your thumb in at the top and begin to peel it. Perhaps you’ll get a cool, fresh spray of citrus in your face along with its fragrant scent. You’re almost there, but not quite. Now you appreciate the white, layer of albedo, or pith, that lovingly surrounds and separates multiple segments, each contained within a thin, almost transparent membrane. The simplicity and complexity of this design fills you with awe. Now you’re ready:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְ‑יָ אֱ‑לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ

 

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the tree.

But it’s not over. That first bite. Fresh, sweet juice bursts into your mouth, reaching those special taste buds that delight in sweetness, maybe some tartness, and for many—certainly me—fill me with great joy. And it is this identification of any and every detail of the wonder of Hashem’s creations that can help us connect through our bracha to the world that Hashem created.

 

May our brachot over fruits—and all over foods—help us appreciate the extraordinary details of all of Hashem’s creations, and in doing so, may we also see the love and attention to the many details within our own lives that Hashem has gifted to us.

By: NATHAN KRUMAN