food

"Feeding the Animals–Beasts and Humans"

Parashat Eikev includes a reference to eating food and being sated. From this brief reference, we are taught many exalted laws regarding our relationship to food, our relationship to animals, as well as Judaism's deep understanding of human nature.

"The Souls That Were Made in Haran"

In this week's parasha we read of Abram's journey from Haran to Canaan. Abram not only takes his family and his belongings to Canaan, but also the "souls that he had made in Haran." The rabbis offer a number of interpretations of who or what these "souls" are. However, the big question remains: What ever happened to those "souls"?

"Those Remarkable Dietary Laws"

Kashruth in the 21st century is far more than a religious ritual. It is a profound bond that unites Jew to Jew, a most meaningful tether that secures an individual to a nation, the sacred energy that connects a people and a nation to its very essence.

"Understanding Birkat Hamazon, the Grace After Meals"

Parashat Eikev contains the verse that serves as the source of the mitzvah mandating the reciting of Birkat Hamazon--the Grace after Meals. What is the purpose of the Grace after Meals? Furthermore, how can a lowly mortal hope to bless or acknowledge the source of his food?

"The Malbim Teaches the Lessons of the Manna"

From the life of the Malbim, the great 19th century Torah commentator, as well as from his brilliant and complicated explication of the "manna" that the Jewish people were given to eat in the wilderness, we find reminders of G-d's continuous support. Sustenance is always sent from the Al-mighty, whether it overtly rains from heaven, or comes in a more subtle manner.

"The Message of the Manna"

The Manna is the food from heaven that sustained the Jewish people for forty years while they wandered in the wilderness. Manna, in effect, represents the heavenly means of support that is provided to each household. The Malbim, Rabbi Meir Yehudah Leibush, cites seven important lessons to be gleaned from Manna. Ultimately, the lesson is that we must be the masters of our labors and our careers and not allow them to master us.