04 Aug Parshas Eikev

Birchas HaMazon

This week’s parashah discusses the mitzvah of birchas hamazon, as it states “You will eat, be satiated, and bless Hashem your G-d.” The Magid of Mezritz zy’a said that we should be more cautious about saying birchas hamazon with kavanah than Shemonah Esrei with kavanah, because Shemonah Esrei is derabanan. In contrast, birchas hamazon is a mitzvah from the Torah! The Yaavatz writes that every mitzvah has its mazal. Examples of mitzvos that have a good mazal, he writes, are the prohibitions of eating chametz on Pesach, basar be’chalav, and the mitzvos of Purim. He writes that these mitzvos have a good mazal, and no one considers transgressing them. But when it comes to birchas hamazon, people become lax. They mumble the words and say them without kavanah…even though it is a mitzvah from the Torah. Birchas hamazon has many segulos. Some of them include: 1) Good Children Rebbe Shlomke of Zvhil zy’a taught that saying birchas hamazon from a siddur (or bencher) with kavanah is mesugal for having children and grandchildren who fear Hashem and are talmidei chachamim.

“You be cautious with birchas hamazon, to say it from a siddur and with kavanah, and you will see that your son will do the same.” 2)Parnassah The Chinuch (Mitzvah 430) writes, “I learned from my teachers…that whoever is careful with birchas hamazon will earn an honorable parnassah his entire life.”

3) Protection The Be’er Heitev writes (in the name of the Ba’ch) that there are no ף’s in birchas hamazon, because the ףא†ןורח†ףצק†ףצש†ף†represents (wrath and punishment) and whoever is careful with birchas hamazon will be protected from wrath and punishment. 4) Protection in the Grave Shach al HaTorah (a student of the Arizal) says that whoever is cautious to say birchas hamazon with kavanah will not be eaten by worms and insects in his grave. The blessings of birchas hamazon will counter the curse of the worms.

He explains that ךורב†is gematriya זרכ) announcement). There is an announcement in Heaven that warns the worms not to harm this person who was careful with birchas hamazon. We wrote that saying birchas hamazon with kavanah is mesugal for parnassah and for being protected against all forms of wrath and punishment. The following true story illustrates this: Reb Shimon (an elderly Yid from Yerushalayim) lived in Lublin in his youth, shortly before the Holocaust. Reb Meir Shapiro zt’l once came to his cheder to test the students. After the test, Reb Meir Shapiro said to the students, “Generally, I give gifts or sweets to the children after a test, but this time, I don’t have anything with me to give you. So, I will tell you about a segulah, and that will be my gift to you. If you follow this segulah, you will always be successful, and you will lead tranquil lives.” Reb Meir Shapiro told them to be cautious with birchas hamazon. He said to them that the Ba’ch says that birchas hamazon is a segulah for protection, and he told them that the Chinuch says birchas hamazon is mesugal for parnassah b’kavod. He also said to them that the Be’er Heitav writes, “Those who are cautious will always say birchas hamazon from a siddur, and not by heart.” Reb Meir Shapiro zt’l quoted these sources and concluded, “This is my present to you.”

Reb Shimon drank in the segulah – which was Reb Meir Shapiro’s gift to them – and he decided right then and there that he would always be careful with birchas hamazon. In cheder, his friends would bench quickly and go out to play, while he lingered, because it was important to him to bench properly. A few years later, the Nazis invaded Poland. Soon, Reb Shimon found himself standing in line for a ‘selektzia.’ Whoever was short was being sent to the left for execution, and Reb Shimon was short! He prayed that he be saved from ‘wrath and in) ףא†ןורח†ףצק†ףצש) ‘punishment the merit of birchas hamazon. When it was his turn, he stood on his toes to appear higher. The Nazi signaled to the right. Soon, Reb Shimon found himself standing in line once again.

This time, each person had to tell the Nazi what he could do for parnassah. Reb Shimon didn’t know what to say. He was only a teenager, taken away from yeshiva to this cursed place. As he waited in line, he prayed, “In the merit of birchas hamazon, which is mesugal for parnassah, Hashem, please support me…” Then, the person behind him tapped him on the shoulder, “Say you’re a cook and that I’m your helper.” He said this, and they were both sent to work in the kitchen. As the Chinuch promised, since he was careful with birchas hamazon, he had enough food. In the camps, Reb Shimon continued to be careful with birchas hamazon. For example, if he realized that he wouldn’t have enough time to say the birchas hamazon properly, he wouldn’t eat bread at that meal. Once, a Nazi saw Reb Shimon working in the kitchen, and he said, “What are you doing here? You look like a young child.” “I work here,” Shimon explained. “I’m the cook.” The Nazi took Reb Shimon outside and showed him a stony area, just outside the kitchen. “You have two hours to finish digging a two-meter ditch, or you will be buried in it.” He gave him a tiny shovel. At that time, the Nazis were digging trenches to hide in, in case the Russians would attack them. But this time, the task was impossible. The ground was covered with heavy stones, he was given a small shovel to work with, and the chore had to be finished in two hours! Reb Shimon raised his eyes to Heaven and said, “I say birchas hamazon with kavanah. This is mesugal to save me from ‘wrath and punishment.’ I was saved before. Please save me again, in this merit.”

A few moments later, a jeep filled with Nazis drove by and saw this young lad trying to dig a ditch with a small shovel. To tease him, they threw tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables at him. Reb Shimon thought, wryly, “I see that in the merit of birchas hamazon, I once again received the brachah for abundance. Now I need the blessings for protection from wrath and punishment, too.” Shortly afterward, a jeep with Russian POWs (prisoners of war) showed up. When they saw all the vegetables around Shimon, they stopped and asked for them. (They were hungry because the Nazis didn’t feed these prisoners, either.) With an authoritative voice, Shimon told the Russians, “When there is a pit two meters deep here, I will give you the vegetables.”

The Russians had the right tools for digging. They took them out of their jeep and began digging the trench. There were several Russian soldiers, and the job was completed in half an hour. The Nazi who gave Shimon two hours to dig the trench returned, and he saw that the task was completed. He said, “I always knew that G-d takes care of you. I just didn’t realize to what extent.” Reb Shimon was saved once again, in the merit of birchas hamazon. When he came to Eretz Yisrael after the war was over, he continued to enjoy many blessings. He always had parnassah, and he married off all of his children honorably. He said that it was all in the merit of birchas hamazon.