REVERSE RIPPLE

 

One of the most frequently recited brachot that, in some ways, seems to get a bad rap, is the bracha recited over many “less-specific” foods, Shehakol Nihyeh Bi’dvaro (by Whose word all comes to be). Perhaps it is seen by some as less important than others, given it’s not at the level of bread or wine; nor is it one of the seven species, or fruits or vegetables that seem to get their own brachot. It’s kind of the Kol Bo of brachot, a catch-all for everything without its own bracha, or worse yet, the bracha many make when they have no idea which bracha to recite.

 

Yet.

 

Water.

 

We can’t live without it. We can’t grow the grains we use to bake bread, the grapes for wine, or the plants and vegetables that all have their own brachot. Perhaps Shehakol Nihyeh Bi’dvaro is actually one of the most important brachot, which brings to mind a discussion with Rabbi Weinberg^נ׳׳י.

 

At the beginning of our weekly chabura, we learned what I would call the “reverse ripple” of the bracha, using what may be the most popular drink in the United States as an example: coffee (which, according to some is more popular than bottled water). Rabbi Weinberg described all (well really, probably not nearly all) that goes into that Starbucks Triple Venti Cappuccino. From the growers and harvesters of the beans; to the creators of the canvas bags holding the beans; the ships conveying the beans from far-off countries; the inventors of the drum or air roasters; the creators of the vehicles with their tires, cables and mechanical parts that bring the beans to Starbucks; the designer of the logo and cups and lids and little green swords that some actually use to stir their coffee; not to mention the barista and all the thousands of people who have jobs and provide for their families along the way…

 

So in a way, it’s not that a sip of coffee has a significant effect on the drinker so much as it’s a “reverse ripple.” Numerous small and large details have already profoundly  influenced the world before the bracha is even recited! In fact, it’s pretty much infinite, which suggest that it can be a bracha of Olam HaBa dimensions (or lack thereof). And this, then, is how we might consider the all-important “shehakol”, as we recite the bracha:

 

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְ‑יָ אֱ‑לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ

 

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, by Whose word

all things came to be.

 

May we have the awareness in all of our brachot of the many works of Hashem that enable us to express our gratitude and appreciation, with our minds and hearts and lips—from a cool sip of water to the Shabbat kiddush—and may they all connect Shamayim and Aretz, Olam Hazeh and Olam HaBa.

By: Nathan Kruman