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Mindfulness Meditative
Techniques
& Eating with Joy
Kabbalistic & Hasidic Perspectives
How to Eat with Focused Attention & Mindfulness
Rabbinic Development of Blessings before and after food
The Concept of Kavvanot and their daily application

How to Eat with Joy - Kabbalistic and Hasidic Perspectives

The Primordial Sin of Eating from the Tree of Knowledge
The Punishment of Sadness and its Remedy
How does the eating table become an "altar"?
Elevating Sparks of Holiness
Embodied Spirituality

1. Table of Contents
2. What was the forbidden fruit eaten in Eden?
3. Vipassana Mindfulness in Eating
4. Jewish Mindfulness Awareness in Eating
5. 10 steps in Mindful Awareness Eating; The Shehiyanu Blessing Enlivened
6. Selected Excerpts from the Hebrew Booklet
7. Kavvanot in Blessings
8. Kavvanot, Intention, and Tikun in Eating
9. Eating in Joy or Sadness
10. The Psychology of Gratitude & Eating
11. The Shehechiyanu Blessing: Origin, Meaning & Meditative Significance
12. Mystical Bodies, Mystical Meals
13. Appendix: Can you distinguish the taste "Umami"?
‫( אוכל‬food) = 57 (numerical value) = sum of two Names of Hashem in the Blessing,
reflecting harmony of Divine Providence. ‫ אלוהינו‬,‫ה‬-‫ו‬-‫ה‬-‫ברוך אתה י‬, -‫ו‬-‫ה‬-‫ = י‬57 = ‫ל‬-‫כ‬-‫ו‬-‫א‬
91 ‫ = אמן‬65 ‫י‬-‫נ‬-‫ד‬-‫ א‬+ 26 ‫ה‬-‫י‬-‫ו‬-‫ = ה‬91 = ‫ל‬-‫כ‬-‫א‬-‫ מ‬31 ‫ל‬-‫ א‬+ 26 ‫ה‬

Rabbi Dr. Natan Ophir

Jerusalem June 2010
All Rights Reserved
Natan@JewishMeditation.org.il; www.JewishMeditation.org.il

1
What was the forbidden fruit eaten in Eden?
According to Midrash Bereshit Rabba, 2,9, pp. 139-140, Talmud Sanhedrin 70a-b,
Berakhot 40a, It was not an apple, but either wheat, grapes, etrog or figs.

The proof texts are as follows:

Wheat: Because the stage of knowledge and speech begins when the young child
begins to eat wheat. Then he can distinguish good and bad as promised in the Tree
of Knowledge.‫ עֵ ץ הַ ַדעַ ת טֹוב ו ָָרע‬The Midrash explains that originally there were tall
wheat trees.
.‫ שאין התינוק יודע לקרוא אבא ואמא עד שיטעום טעם דגן‬,‫ חיטה היה‬:‫רבי יהודה אומר‬

Etrog: And the Woman saw that the tree good to eat and it passionate pleasure for the eyes and
beautiful to look at (Genesis 3,6).
.)‫ו‬,‫ו ֵַת ֶרא הָ ִא ָשה כִ י טֹוב הָ עֵ ץ לְ מַ אֲ כָל וְכִ י ַתאֲ וָה הּוא לָ עֵ י ַניִם ְונ ְֶח ָמד הָ עֵ ץ ְלהַ ְשכִ יל (בראשית ג‬
Figs: And they sewed together leaves of a fig (Genesis 3,7). In that which they erred,
they tried to correct.
‫ שנאמר‬,‫ שבדבר שקלקלו בו נתקנו‬,‫ אילן שאכל אדם הראשון של תאנה הייתה‬,‫רבי נחמיה אומר‬
.)‫ז‬,‫וַיִ ְת ְפרּו עֲלֵ ה ְתאֵ נָה (בראשית ג‬
Grapes: And he <Noach> drank from the wine and became drunk (Genesis 9,21).
According to this, Noach should have learned his lesson from Adam's error. The idea
is that drunkedness brings sobbing.
)‫כא‬,‫שאין לך דבר שמביא יללה לאדם אלא יין שנאמר ַוי ְֵש ְת ִמן הַ ַייִן וַיִ ְש ָכר (בראשית ט‬

How to rectify Original Sin?

Wheat: Cognitive-Moral Development, Knowledge of Good & Evil, Right & Wrong.
Sefirot of Hochma, Binah, Daat.
Etrog: Beauty, channel aesthetic pleasure to positive purposes of Love. Sefirot of
Hesed, Gevurah and Tiferet.
Figs: Eating the entire fruit including the outer husk. Directing energies towards
fulfillment and completion, covering shame and enhancing creativity. Sefirot of
Netzach, Hod and Yesod.
Grapes: Sanctification of wine in Kiddush and Havdala type distinction between sacred and
profane. Balance between excessive imbibing and abstention from pleasure in eating and
drinking. Bringing the power of all the sefirot into our lives. Sefirah of Malkhut.

2
Vipassana Mindfulness in Eating
Just Be.
Observe thoughts and be Fully Aware in the Immediate Present
in which we live, think and act. Be willing to experience as a Curious Child,
for the first time, with inquisitiveness and vitality.

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift.

That is why it is called the Present. (Eleanor Roosevelt)

Mindfulness has been promoted as a meditative way of life to focusing mind, thought and
emotion. Mindfulness techniques have permeated modern the American Jewish meditative
experience due to the impact of Jewish Buddhists - several hundred thousand American Jews are
said today to be involved in Buddhist meditative practices.1 The syncretistic result has led to the
name JUBUS or BUJUS.2 There are so many "Jewish Buddhists", that Chogyam Trungpa, the
Tibetan Buddhist who founded The Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado, joked that his students
formed the "Oy Vey school of Buddhism".3
Vipassana emphasizes mindfulness in experiencing compassion, joy, equanimity, and love on all
levels of our life. For example, Jack Kornfield4 teaches "insight and awakening" by cultivating
awareness in four foundations of mindfulness: body & senses, heart & feelings, mind & thoughts,
and principles that govern life <dharma>5.
Vipassana Insight meditation includes mental activities to experience Mindfulness (sati in Pali6
and smṛti in Sanskrit), being fully aware and totally in the present. Mindfulness is paying
attention with intention, but without critical judgment. It is a focus of a pure awareness to the
multifold levels of experiencing in the senses, feelings, thoughts, and surroundings. Techniques
include body-scan meditation, mindful movement, sitting meditation, and breathing space.
On mindfulness in eating see The Center for Mindful Eating (www.tcme.org), a virtual
organization bringing resources about mindful eating to professionals in related fields.
Kristeller, J.L. and Wolever, R.Q. (2011). Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training for
treating binge eating disorder: The conceptual foundation. Eating Disorders, 19, 49-61.
[download PDF]

1
See Rachel Safier, "Jewish roots Buddhist wings", Moment Magazine, Feb. 2007: "It's estimated that
over a million Americans practice Buddhism; and of these, as many one-third may be people of Jewish
descent".
2
Rodger Kamenetz, in his 1994 bestseller, The Jew and the Lotus: A Poet's Rediscovery of Jewish
Identity in Buddhist India, was perhaps the first to use the term "BUJU". He estimated that Jewish
participation in American Buddhism was between 6% to 30%. Kamentz, p. 7 - Marc Lieberman "was the
first person to ever describe himself to me as a JUBU".
3
Kamenetz, The Jew in the Lotus, pp. 7-9. Kaminetz notes: "In the early 1970's four Jewish practitioners
of Vipassana meditation – Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield, Jacqueling Schwarz, and Sharon Salzberg
– returned from their studies in India and Thailand to found the Insight Meditation Society in Barre,
Massachusetts". Compare Harold Kasimow, "Mount Sinai and Mount Fuji: The American Jewish
Fascination with Buddhism," Dharma World, January-March 2007, retrieved March 2, 2008 from
http://www.kosei-shuppan.co.jp/english/text/mag/2007/07_123_3.html.
4
Jack Kornfield is a Jew who was trained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, Burma, and India and has
taught around the world since 1974. He holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, was a co-founder of the
Insight Meditation Society and of the Spirit Rock Center, and lives in northern California with his wife
and daughter. His books include A Path With Heart, After the Ecstasy, the Laundry, Seeking the Heart
of Wisdom (with Joseph Goldstein), and Teachings of the Buddha.
5
Jack Kornfield, A Path With Heart – A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life, Bantam
Books, New York, 1993, pp. 42-43.
6
Pāli is the language of the earliest extant Buddhist canon of Theravada Buddhism

3
 Jewish Mindfulness Awareness Eating
Savoring
Fred B. Bryant is one of the positive psychology researchers studying well being. In
Savoring, A New Model of Positive Experience, 2007, Bryant explains “savoring” in
appreciating positive aspects of life. More than mere pleasure, savoring involves
“conscious attention to the experience of pleasure” (pg. 5). Bryant distinguishes three
temporal forms of savoring: Anticipatory, In the Moment and Reminiscent. He
delineates ten practical ways to savor such as by sharing memories, self-
congratulations, and counting blessings. For eating, he suggests sharpening your
sensory perceptions – "Take a bite of delicious cheesecake. Close your eyes to block
out visual distractions and concentrate on the rich taste to intensify the flavor".

Eating Meditation7
Hold your favorite fruit, e.g. red strawberry.
1. Close Examination: Imagine that this is the first time in your life
that you experience this fruit. Look at it and notice something you have
seen before. Inspect it the way a baby explores a new discovery. Rub it
over your lips. How does it feel? Can you taste the trace flavor?
2. Tasting: Hold the strawberry in your mouth, and roll it around. How does it feel?
As you chew, notice the change in flavor. Slowly chew, resisting the urge to swallow.
Breathe in deeply. Does breathing help enjoy the strawberry? Relax and smile. How does
smiling improve the taste?
3. Deep Appreciation: Contemplate the hard work, toil and loving labor that brought
this strawberry to you. The miracles of nature reflected in one small strawberry. Thank
God for the wondrous gift of taste. A single strawberry eaten with sincere appreciation can
create joy and happiness more than a plate of food devoured rapidly. Note how food tastes
when we notice and appreciate?

7
These type of meditations can be found on the Internet. For example, see Charles MacInerney,
www.yogateacher.com/text/meditation/on-line/eating.html

4
Connecting to God in a Blessing Before Eating
Closeness of I-Thou: Barukh Ata Hashem is a second person address towards Yod-
Heh-Vav-Heh, the Divine Name of Hesed and Mercy
revealed to Moses.
Awe: Elohenu Melech Haolam is a plural first person
declaration of "our God" as the Sovereign King of the
Universe, with "Eloheinu" the universal name of God, the
Name of Judgement and Natural Providence.
Reflection on the Gift: Boreh Peri Haetz, and similar endings, indicating that He has
created the fruit of the tree.

Mindfulness in Eating a Date, Fig or Walnut – Eat by fully experiencing8

Bring attention to the piece of fruit. Simplest of experiences. Be content and awake.
Touch – take note of the texture, color, shape, feeling.
Lift the fruit slowly to your mouth. Be aware of all sensations, the whole sense of
touch.
Notice what is happening in your mind in anticipation. Watch your thoughts.
Notice the flavor, tartness, sweetness… As you chew, as the fruit breaks down in
your mouth. Relax. Bring attention, open up all senses to the present sensory-
emotional-spiritual experience of the physical gastronomic process.

8
Compare the eating meditation by Sharon Salzberg, co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in
Barre, Massachusetts. Sharon has been leading meditation retreats since 1974 in intensive awareness
practice and cultivating lovingkindness and compassion.

5
 10 Steps in Mindful Awareness Eating
Eating is Not Only Taste9
1. Sight – Examine texture, shape, color, qualities and meaning of the
food.
2. Smell – Imbibe the odor, scent and fragrance as in the spices of
Havdala.
3. Touch – Hold the food in your hand, feel it, connect to it.
4. Lips – Move the food against your lips to feel the sensation.
5. Tongue –Detect with your taste buds: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and
umami.
6. Mouth – Feel taste and meaning of the food in all parts of your
mouth.
7. Chew – Slowly chew, paying attention to the flavors, transmitting
the blessing to the food that is being transformed into part of you. Can
you notice how in the gastric phase as food enters the stomach, the
stomach stretches and impulses are sent to the brain.
8. Smile & Gratitude – See how joy and gratitude can influence the sensations as
you eat.
9. Swallow – Sense what is happening in your digestive system. Can you distinguish
different "thoughts", "emotions" and sensations when you swallow?
10. Recognize Bountiful Goodness, the Source of the food and Divine Sparks in the
physical morsel. In the second part of our class we will meditate silently on this
Goodness, elevating Divine Sparks, and creating joy in eating and in life.

9
Thought, smell and sight lead the brain to send signals to the stomach to increase its gastric secretions.
Taste is only one component in the sensation of food. Other factors include smell detected by the
olfactory epithelium of the nose, texture detected by mechanoreceptors, and temperature detected by
thermoreceptors. Mindfulness eating as we are using it here includes all these and more.

6
The Shehechiyanu Blessing Enlivened
After mindfulness eating, we will practice the quieting technique to enliven the
inner experience of gratitude by using the Shehechiyanu blessing with
meditative kavvanot:
.‫ ֶשהֶ חֱ יָנּו ו ְִקיְ מָ נּו ו ְִהגִ יעָ נּו לַ זְ ַמן הַ זֶה‬,‫בָ רּוְך אַ ָתה ה' אֱ להֵ ינּו מֶ לֶ ְך הָ עולָ ם‬
‫ ֶשהֶ חֱ יָנּו‬That He has given us life.
‫ ו ְִקיְ מָ נּו‬That He sustains us, nourishing and providing for our existence and being.
‫ ו ְִהגִ יעָ נּו לַ זְ מַ ן הַ זֶה‬He has brought to this point in time, to this special moment celebrating
life.

Place your right hand (= hesed) on your stomach area. Breath in deeply. Feel
the rise and fall of your intestine areas. Add your left hand below the right
hand (= gevurah). Try to feel the messages of your esophagus, stomach and
intestines – are you really hungry? For which types of food? Why? Where can
you sense satiation? What are the messages being relayed to your brain?
Feel the blessing in each breath…
‫ על כל נשימה‬- )‫ ו‬,‫ְּשמָׁ ה ְּתהַ לֵּ ל יָּׁה (תהילים ק"נ‬
ָׁ ‫ מה טעם כֹּל הַ נ‬:‫ט‬,‫מדרש בראשית רבה י"ד‬
.‫ונשימה‬
Midrash Genesis Rabbah 14,9 - What is the deeper meaning of the verse concluding
the book of Pslams: "Every Soul (Neshama) should praise God" (Psalms 150,6) ‫כֹּל‬
‫ ?הַ נְּ שמה ְּתהַ לֵּ ל יָּׁה‬On each breath and breath (neshimah) give praise.

7
 "The Table Before Hashem"
Translation of Selected Excerpts from the Accompanying Hebrew Booklet

.'‫ש ְּלחן אֲ ֶׁשר ִל ְּפנֵּי ה‬

ֻּׁ ַ‫ ַוי ְַדבֵ ר אֵ לַ י זֶה ה‬:‫ כב‬,‫יחזקאל מ"א‬.1
Ezekiel 41,22: And He said to me, this is the table before Hashem
‫ לקיום‬- )‫ כה‬,‫ צַ ִדיק ֹאכֵל ְלשֹבַ ע נ ְַפשֹו (משלי י"ג‬:‫ שער ו‬,‫ חלק א‬,‫ שערי קדושה‬,‫ ר' חיים ויטאל‬.2
"‫ כמו שכתוב " ְבכָל ְד ָרכֶיָך ָדעֵ הּו‬,‫ ואף גם זה לשם שמים להיות חזק לעבודתו יתברך‬,‫הנפש‬
‫ ולמען‬,‫ כי על שלחן המלך אתה אוכל‬,‫ ועמוד באימה על שלחנך הנמשל אל המזבח‬,)‫ ו‬,‫(משלי ג‬
.‫יהיה שלחנך מזבח כפרה לכפר עונותיך‬
R. Hayim Vital, Gates of Holiness, part 1, gate 6: "The righteous eat to the satisfaction
of his soul" (Proverbs 13,25), for the sustenance of his soul, and that should also be for
the Sake of Heaven, to be strong in the Service of God, as the verse says, "In all your
ways know Him" (Proverbs 3,6). Stand with awe at your table, for it is compared to an
altar, as you eat at the table of the King, and so that your table will be an altar of
atonement to atone for your sins.

‫ לשון חיבור‬,‫ ָדעֵ הּו‬,‫ זהו כלל גדול‬,)‫ו‬,‫ " ְבכָל ְד ָרכֶיָך ָדעֵ הּו"(משלי ג‬:‫ סעיף צד‬,"‫ "צוואת הריב"ש‬.3
.‫ אפילו בדברים הגשמיים שעושה‬,‫ בכל מעשיו‬,‫הה' בוי"ו‬
The Testament of the Rivash (R. Yisrael Baal Shem Tov), 94: In all your ways
know Him (Proverbs 3,6), This is a major rule – Know Him – the letters heh and
vav combine together indicating the combining of the physical and spiritual,
meaning that you should intend to know God in all your actions, even in the
physical.
.‫ התחלת החסידות לקדש אכילתו שיהיה בקדושה‬:‫ ע"ב‬,‫ רסיסי לילה צ"א‬,‫ ר' צדוק הכהן מלובלין‬.4
R. Tzadok Hacohen of Lublin, Shards of Night, 91b: The beginning of Hasidut
is to sanctify one's eating, so that it will be in holiness.
‫ ותעזרנו שתהיה אכילתנו בקדושה גדולה כל כך‬:‫ לא‬,"‫ "ליקוטי מוהר"ן‬,‫ ר' נחמן מברסלב‬.5
‫ ויהיה נאמר על השולחן שלנו "זֶה הַ שֻּׁ ְּלחָׁ ן אֲ ֶשר‬,‫עד שיהיה השולחן שלנו מכפר כמזבח‬
.)‫ כב‬,‫לִ פְּ נֵי ה'" (יחזקאל מ"א‬
R. Nahman of Bretzlav, Likutei Moharan 31: … and God, help us so that our
eating will be in such great holiness that our table will atone like an altar, and
it shall be said about our table – "This is the table before Hashem" (Ezekiel
41,22).

‫ התוכן המקודש של אכילה קדושה זו‬:‫ עמ' רצג‬,"‫ "שמחת האכילה בקדושה‬,‫ אורות הקודש‬,‫ הראי"ה קוק‬.6
.)‫ כב‬,‫ " ַוי ְַדבֵ ר אֵ לַ י זֶה הַ שֻּׁ ְלחָ ן אֲ ֶשר ִל ְפ ֵני ה'" (יחזקאל מ"א‬,‫היא בעצמה דברי תורה‬
Rav Kook, Orot Hakodesh, "The Joy of Eating in Holiness", p. 293: The
sanctified content of eating in holiness is itself as words of Torah, as He said
to me, this is the table before Hashem" (Ezekiel 41,22).
,‫ שאכילתם היא כולה אידיאלית‬,‫ ישנם צדיקים גדולים כאלה‬:‫נד‬,‫ ד‬,"‫ "שמונה קבצים‬,‫ הראי"ה קוק‬.7
,‫ שהם מוסיפים ברכה בעולם באכלם לפני ה' על שולחנן‬...‫ כהקרבת קרבנות ממש‬,‫אצילית‬
.‫שהוא מכפר על הכלל כולו כשם שהמזבח מכפר‬
Rav Kook, Shemonah Kevatzim, 4,54: There are some elevated righteous of
the type whose eating is completely ideal, noble and as if actually offering
sacrifices… they add a blessing in the world by their very eating before Hashem
on their table, for it atones for the entire collective, just as the altar atones.

8
 Kavvanot in Blessings
Kavvanah is associated with focusing intention. Kavvanot can set guidelines of thought
and emotion that can or should be experienced in life's actions and challenges,
appreciating joys and blessings, and affirming one's role and destiny.

Kavvanot open a range of possible intentions. Kabbalistic and

Hasidic literature are replete with detailed instructions on what
to focus beyond basic meanings of a sanctified text.10 One
such collection draws from six classical authors to present a range of meanings for
directing thoughts during the Amidah.11 Similarly, in the commentary on the sidur by
R. Moshe Cordervero one sees designations of different sefirot for each word, thus
providing a new focus of prayer meaning and intention. Although Kabbalists used
Lurianic kavvanot, simpler forms of contemplative prayer can be found with kavvanot
pashtiyot (simple intentions).12
In kavvanot, we can contemplate meanings that incorporate subjective theological
insights or express personal needs and feelings. The halakhic obligation of kavvanah
in Talmud Berahkhot 29b is defined as adding novel intentions and meanings to
sanctified forms.13 The interpretations thus transcend the original intention of the text
as each person approaches with his own experience as influenced by time and mood.
The liturgical language acts as a stimulus to evoke emotions and as a catalyst to
develop closeness.

Three Parts in the Blessing Formula

.‫ בָּ רּוְך אַ ָּתה ה' – פניה בגוף שני אל התגלות האלוהות המופיעה בשם ההוויה‬.‫א‬
‫ הדגשת שם אוניברסאלי‬,‫ אֱ להֵּ ינּו ֶׁמלֶׁ ְך העֹולם – גוף ראשון בהמלכת ה' כריבון העולמים‬.‫ב‬
."‫של "אל‬
.‫ ייחוד במצוות ובציווי ככלי עזר להשגת הקדושה‬,‫ גוף שלישי‬- ‫בורא פְ ִרי הָ עֵ ץ‬
ֵ .‫ג‬
Jewish basic meditation/intentions in a standard blessing
The main focus of attention in a typical Jewish blessing is towards a double
aspect of God. We begin with I – Thou, in a direct relationship towards Hashem.
The Tetragrammaton, Y-H-V-H, is from the root of "I will Be that which I will Be".
Hashem implies Immanence, while El hints at Transcendence. Hashem is
associated with love, mercy and compassion, personal and relational qualities,
while Elohim implies the aloofness of Creator and God’s universal judgment.
The distinctions do not necessitate ontologically differing essences or dualism,
but are complementary aspects of the One God.14 In the blessing, Eloheinu,
our God softens the awesomeness of cosmic transcendence bringing home the
closeness of God as our King.

10
A good introduction in English is Louis Jacobs, Hasidic Prayer, New York, 1973.
11
The six authors collated are Avudraham, R. Menahem b”r Zerach, R. Moshe Machir, R. Yonathan
Eibeshetz, R. Alexander Ziskind, R. Eliezer Papo: ‫ באורי גדולי הדורות על‬,‫ ספר עמוד התפילה‬,)‫א' טאבאק (עורך‬
‫ סדר היום‬,‫ צדה לדרך לרבנו מנחם בן ר' אהרן בן זרח‬,‫ ירושלים תשנ"ד – אבודרהם לרבנו דוד אבודרהם‬,‫תפילת שמונה עשרה‬
‫ יסוד ושורש העבודה לרבנו אלכסנדר זיסקינד ובית תפילה לרבנות‬,‫ יערות דבש לרבנות יהונתן איבשיץ‬,‫לרבנו משה ב"ר מכיר‬
.‫אליעזר פאפו‬
12
Jacobs, Hasidic Prayer, pg. 81.
13
To the statement of the Mishnah Berakhot, ch. 4, in the name of Rabbi Eliezer, who renders his prayer
"kevah" (fixed, static, without innovation), his prayer cannot be fervent. The Talmud tractate Berakhot
29b asks, what is meant by "kevah"? One answer (by Rabba and Rav Yosef) is whoever cannot innovate
something new. .
14
See Norman Lamm, The Shema – Spirituality and Law in Judaism, Philadelphia, 1998, chapter 4, “The
Lord Is Our God”: Names Make a Difference, pp. 26-28.

9
 Kavvanot, Intention and Tikun in Eating
Seldom do we really focus on how we eat. Instead, we talk or think about other things
while gulping down food. Mindful eating is to be aware and appreciate. Kabbalistic and
Chassidic teachings explain that all food contains a Godly spark of holiness. When we
say a blessing before eating, and eat with the intention to serve G-d, we elevate the
physical substance of the food into holiness. A holy spark, inherent in the food,
becomes reunited with its Divine source.

‫ משנה ד‬,‫ זה השלחן לפני ה' – אבות פרק ג‬.1

‫ ואמרו עליו דברי תורה‬...‫ שלושה שאכלו על שולחן אחד‬,‫רבי שמעון אומר‬
,‫כאילו אכלו משולחנו של מקום ברוך הוא‬
.)‫ כב‬,‫ זֶה הַ שֻּׁ ְּלחָׁ ן אֲ ֶשר ִל ְּפנֵי ה'" (יחזקאל מ"א‬,‫שנאמר " ַוי ְַּדבֵ ר אֵ לַ י‬
1. Avot, ch. 3. Mishnah 4
R. Shimon said, three who ate on one table… and said words of Torah, it is as if they
ate from the table of Omniscient Blessed be He, for it says, "And He spoke to me: This
is the table before Hashem" (Ezekiel 41,22)
‫תצז‬-‫ עמ' תצו‬,‫ השער השני‬,‫ שולחן של ארבע‬,‫ ר' בחיי ב"ר אשר‬.2
‫ כעניין שכתוב‬,‫ שיפנה מחשבתו ותהיה משוטטת בהקב"ה על כל לוגמא ולוגמא‬,‫וכן יצטרך כשיאכל‬
"‫ְשמָ ה ְתהַ לֵ ל יָּה‬
ָ ‫ "כֹל הַ נ‬,‫ וזה דומה למה שדרשו חז"ל‬.)‫יא‬,‫ֹלהים ַוי ֹאכְ לּו וַיִ ְשתּו" (שמות כ"ד‬
ִ ֱ‫" ַויֶחֱ זּו אֶ ת הָ א‬
,‫ הנה האכילה ההיא עניין גופני ופעולה טבעית‬....‫ו) – על כל נשימה ונשימה תן לו הילול‬,‫(תהילים ק"נ‬
‫ הרי אכילתו‬...)‫ו‬,‫"בכָל ְד ָרכֶיָך ָדעֵ הּו" (משלי ג‬
ְ ‫ וזה טעם שכתב‬,‫והנה היא חוזרת לעבודה עליונית שכלית‬
.‫נחשבת עבודה גמורה כאחת מן העבודות האלוהיות או כמצווה אחת מן המצוות‬

2. R. Bahya Ibn Asher, Table of Four, gate two, pp. 496-497, Intention in
Eating
It is necessary when a person eats to free his mind from other thoughts, so it can soar
aloft to think upon Hashem while each mouthful is being swallowed as Scripture says
<of the 70 elders> And they saw God, and ate and drank (Exodus 24,11). This
resembles the exposition of the Rabbis on the verse "All the Soul
(Neshamah=Neshimah) will praise God" (Psalms 150,6) - On each and every breath,
offer praise to God … When a person eats with this intention, the natural physical
activity acquires a spiritual meaning of "knowing" (or connecting to) God in all one's
activities. And this is the meaning of the verse "in all your ways know Him" (Proverbs
3,6). The very act of eating becomes part of the service of God, a mitzvah onto itself.

‫ גם בעת האכילה‬,)‫ו‬,‫"בכָל ְד ָרכֶיָך ָדעֵ הּו" (משלי ג‬

ְ ‫ עמ' תצד‬,‫ שולחן של ארבע‬,‫ ר' בחיי ב"ר אשר‬.3
.‫ באותה שעה דעהו והידבק בו‬,‫שאתה קרוב שתשכחנו ותפריד שכלך מדעתו‬
3. R. Bahya: "In all your ways, know Him" (Proverbs 3,6), that is to say, that
during eating, when you may feel close to forgetting God and separating your
mind from His Mind, then is the time to focus on Knowing Him and Clinging to
Him.

Sarah (Susan) Schneider, "Eating as Tikun", Jerusalem, 1996

http://www.amyisrael.co.il/smallvoice/eatingastikkun.html
Humanity's first sin, teaches Rav Tsadok HaKohen, was eating without right
intention. When a person takes self conscious pleasure from the world, he eats
from the Tree of Knowledge, and thus falls from G-d consciousness… Since our
first sin was unholy eating, only its opposite can fix it. Life trains us to learn to fix
our "eating disorder" and eat in holiness, not letting the worldly pleasures wrench
our attention from God.

10
 The Psychology of Gratitude & Eating
1. Gratitude on each and every breath – Midrash Genesis Rabbah 14,9, pp. 133-134
133-134 '‫ עמ‬,‫ט‬,‫ מדרש בראשית רבה י"ד‬- ‫להודות על כל נשימה ונשימה‬
‫ וַיִּ פַ ח ְּבאַ פָּ יו נִּ ְּש ַמת חַ יִ ים‬- ‫ז‬,‫בראשית ב‬
,‫ הנשמה הזו ממלאה את <כל> הגוף‬,‫ ור' יוחנן בשם ר' מאיר‬,‫ ר' אחא‬, ‫ר' ביסני‬
.>‫ובשעה שאדם ישן היא עולה ושואבת לו חיים מלמעלן <מלמעלה‬
.‫ על כל נשמה ונשמה שאדם נושם צריך לקלס להקב"ה‬,‫ר' לוי בשם ר' חנינה חזרת עלייה‬
.‫ על נשימה ונשימה‬,)‫ ו‬,‫ְּשמָׁ ה ְּתהַ לֵ ל יָּׁה" (תהילים ק"נ‬
ָׁ ‫מה טעם " כֹּל הַ נ‬
Genesis 2,7: "And He breathed into his nostrils a living life force (nishmat chayim)".

R. Levi in the name of R. Hanina, The soul returns on each breath. Thus on each and
every breath (neshimah) that a person breathes, he should praise HaKadosh Baruch Hou.
What is the deeper meaning of "Every Soul (Neshama) should praise God"15? - on each
breath and breath (neshimah).

2. Biblical-Talmudical Source for Blessings Before and After Eating Fruit

'‫ּלּולים לַ ה‬
ִּ ‫ כד ּובַ ָשנָה הָ ְר ִביעִ ת י ְִהיֶה כָל פִ ְריֹו קֹ ֶדש ִּה‬,‫ויקרא י"ט‬
.‫ מלמד שטעונים ברכה לפניהם ולאחריהם‬,'‫ּלּולים לַ ה‬ ִּ ‫ קֹ ֶדש ִּה‬:‫ ע"א‬,‫ברכות ל"ה‬
Leviticus 19,24: Then, in the fourth year, all [the tree's] fruit shall be holy, and
it shall be something for which God is praised.
Talmud tractate Berakhot 35a: "… holy, praises to Hashem", this teaches us
that a blessing is required before and after <eating the fruit>.

3. Gratitude in the Blessing Before Eating

.‫ המוציא לחם מן הארץ‬...‫ברוך אתה ה' אלוהינו מלך העולם‬
.‫ שהכל נהיה בדברו‬...‫ האדמה‬...‫ העץ‬...‫ בורא פרי הגפן‬.‫בורא מיני מזונות‬
Blessed are You Lord our God, King of the Universe… Who brings forth bread from
the earth… Who creates various kinds of sustenance… Who creates the fruit of the
vine… of the tree… of the earth… by Whose Word all things came to be.”
With these words, we express gratitude for the manifold blessings bestowed upon us
for our sustenance. The blessing provides a time to meditate, a moment of spiritual
awareness to transform eating into a spiritual experience.

4. Elevating the Food – R. Nahman of Bretzlav

‫ לז‬,"‫העלאת הניצוצות בנפש החי – "ליקוטי מוהר"ן‬
‫ותזכנו שתהיה אכילתינו בקדושה ובטהרה תמיד ובפרט כשאנו אוכלין דבר מן החי‬
‫תעזרנו להתקדש ביותר בשעת אכילתנו‬
‫עד שנזכה להעלות הנפש המלובש בחי שאנו אוכלים‬
.‫להעלות הנפש מחי למדבר על ידי הברכה שאנו מברכין על אכילתנו‬
.‫ונזכה לומר כל הברכות בכוונה גדולה ועצומה לשמך הגדול באמת‬
R. Nahman of Bretzlav, Likutei Moharan, 37: And you should merit us so that our eating will always
be in holiness and purity, and especially when we eat animal products, help us to achieve greater
sanctity while eating, until we can merit elevating the soul invested in the animal that we are eating, to
elevate its status to that of a human via the blessing that we recite upon eating. And merit us to say all
the blessings with great and strong intention for Your Great Name in truth.

** Further Reading: Louis Jacobs, "Eating as an Act of Worship in Hasidic Thought," in Siegfried Stein and
Raphael Loewe (ed.), Studies in Jewish Religious and Intellectual History, presented to Alexander Altmann,
Alabama, 1979, pp. 157-166.

15
Psalms 56,1. This is the concluding verse of the last chapter in Psalms, i.e., the conclusion, or
perhaps summation, of the entire book.

11
‫?‪A. Eating in Joy or Sadness‬‬
‫‪The Zohar on Eating by building a link via the Sephirot‬‬
‫ֲבּורָך‪ְּ ,‬ב ִעצבֹון ת ֹּאכְּ לֶׁ נה כֹּל י ְֵּמי חַ יֶיָך‪.‬‬ ‫‪ .1‬בראשית ג‪,‬יז‪ ... :‬אֲ ָׁ‬
‫רּורה הָׁ אֲ ָׁדמָׁ ה בַ ע ֶ‬
‫‪… cursed is the earth because of you, in sadness you shall eat all the days of your‬‬
‫‪life.‬‬

‫‪ .2‬זוהר‪ ,‬א‪ ,‬קפז‪ :‬כתיב "< ִאם ה' ל ֹּא י ְִּבנֶׁה בַ יִת‪ָׁ ,‬שוְּא עָׁ ְּמלּו בֹונָׁיו בֹו‪ָׁ >...‬שוְּא לָׁ כֶם מַ ְּשכִ ימֵ י קּום‪,‬‬
‫שבֶ ת אֹּ כְּ לֵּ י לֶׁ חֶׁ ם העֲ צ ִבים" (תהילים קכ"ז‪,‬א‪-‬ב)‪ .‬מאי לֶ חֶ ם הָׁ עֲצָׁ ִבים? עבור מי שיש לו בניין <של‬ ‫ְּמאַ חֲ ֵרי ֶ‬
‫הספירות>‪ ,‬הלחם שהוא אוכל הוא בשמחה ובטוב לבב‪ .‬ולמי שאין לו בניין‪ ,‬הלחם שאוכל הוא לחם של‬
‫עצבות‪.‬‬
‫‪Zohar, 1, 187: It says If Hashem does not build the house, they labor in vain…,‬‬
‫‪it is vain for you who rise early and sit up late eating the bread of sadness" (Psalms‬‬
‫‪127,1-2).‬‬
‫?"‪What is the "bread of sadness‬‬
‫‪For someone who has a structure <of the Sephirot>,‬‬
‫‪the bread he eats is with joy and gladness of heart.‬‬
‫‪For a person who does not have such a structure, the bread he eats is of sadness.‬‬

‫‪B. Rebbe Elimelech's Kavvanot Before Eating‬‬

‫‪16‬‬ ‫ֶענְסק‬
‫ר' אלימלך ִמ ִליז ְ‬
‫אחר אכילת "המוציא" יאמר בזה הלשון‪:‬‬
‫לשם יחוד קודשא בריך הוא ושכינתיא‪,‬‬
‫אין אני אוכל להנאת גופי חס ושלום רק שיהיה גופי בריא וחזק לעבודתו יתברך שמו‪.‬‬
‫ואל יעכב שום חטא ועון והרהור רע ותענוג גשמי את היחוד קודשא בריך הוא‬
‫על ידי ניצוצות קדושות של האכילה והשתייה הזה‪.‬‬
‫ויכוין כשהוא אוכל דבר מה או שותה דבר מה‪ ,‬שהטעם שהוא מרגיש בפיו‬
‫בשעת לעיסה ובשעת גמיעה היא פנימיות הקדושה וניצוצות הקדושה‬
‫השורה במאכל או במשקה ההוא‬
‫ועל ידי האכילה והטחינה בשינים והאצטומכא נברר הפנימיות מהמאכל‬
‫שלא יעשה מותר להשפיע לחיצונים ואז נפשו נהנית מהפנימיות‪...‬‬
‫וגם יצייר לפניו בשעת אכילה האותיות מאכ"ל בכתב אשורית‬
‫ויהרהר שעולה צ"א (‪ )91‬כמנין הויה (‪ )26‬בשילוב אדני (‪.)65‬‬

‫‪ 16‬צטיל קטן ‪ -‬מרבי אלימלך מליזענסק ‪,‬ט"ו‪http://sites.torahindex.com/lizensk/he/prayer.html ,‬‬

‫‪12‬‬
 The "Shehechiyanu" Blessing
A Gratitude Blessing of Mindfulness in Time
The early prototype of the shehechiyanu blessing had only four words, "Barukh shehigiyanu
lazman hazeh". It was simply an expression of gratitude that "He enabled us to reach this moment
in time". This is the formula found in the Kaufmann manuscript which preserves the early version
of Mishnah Berakhot 9,3 where building a house and acquiring new garments are mentioned. This
is the wording in Talmud Yerushalmi, Berakhot, 9, 4 for new garments (quoted in the name of
Rabbi Aha) and in Tosefta Berakhot ch. 6, 14 for building a new sukkah, and 6,15 for producing
one's own tefillin, lulav or tzitzit.
A working assumption in liturgical research is that Jewish prayers first developed in popular
culture, folk custom and prayer assemblies, and later were standardized17. After the destruction of
the 2nd Temple and the devastating blows of exile, rabbinical leaders began shaping ritual by
encasing it with meaning and ensconcing observance in liturgical form. Blessings were
standardized with the specific purpose of focusing thoughts and emotions.
Then the original 4 words expanded into 12, and the blessing became known as Shehechiyanu. It
was applied to a variety of new situations – eating new fruits in their seasonal appearance,
marking the annual arrival of festivals and ritual observances. Shehechiyanu was incorporated
into the calendar of events for mitzvot such as blowing shofar, reading megilah, sitting in a
sukkah, eating matzah and lighting Hannukah candles. The blessing came to include the full
blessing formula with God's name and two new verbs. I suggest explaining the three key
expressions as follows:
1. Shehechiyanu - That He has given us life, hinting at the primal form of birth.
2. Vikimanu And He is sustaining us, implying a continued existence, nourishment and
perseverance over time.
3. Vehigiyanu lazman hazeh - That He has brought us to this time, to the specific present, the
special moment in time.
Some medieval commentators have observed that each of the three verbs expresses a different
conceptualization of gratitude. R. Eleazar Rokeach (1176 – 1238), in his commentary on the
prayer book, HaRokeach, 361, explains that the three verbs parallel three distinct forms of praise
and gratitude in the realms of soul, life, and essence as hinted at in Psalms 146, 1-2.
The first exegetical attempt at explaining the Biblical roots of the Shehechiyanu blessing can be
found in the 12th century midrashic compilation, Midrash Shekhel Tov (Genesis 22 and Exodus
12), where Shehechiyanu – "He has given us life", is derived from Deuteronomy 4,4, "You are
clinging (hadevekim) to Hashem your God and thus you are Alive today".
In conclusion, the Shehechiyanu blessing in its current form was instituted to fulfill multiple
purposes that are not covered by other blessings. Shehechiyanu can be said to offer an opportunity
for a heightened awareness of life, time and existence. In that sense, it is the most meditative of
halachic blessings in that it focuses attention on the present moment in time, cultivates an
appreciation of the fleeting presence and expresses recognition of a unique achievement. For
those of us who have a meditative-prayer inclination, Shehechiyanu might be perceived today as a
Jewish alternative to the popular Buddhist Vipassanā mindfulness practices.

17
On the development of normative prayer liturgy see the classical book by Joseph Heinemann, Prayer
in the Period of the Tannai'm and the Amora'im : Its Nature and Its Patterns, Jerusalem, 1978. For
more recent scholarly research see the website of Dr. Tzvee Zahavy, http://www.tzvee.com/Home, and
in particular, his article on the Politics of Piety http://www.tzvee.com/Home/the-politics-of-piety, and
Studies in Jewish Prayer, http://www.zahavy.com/studies.html

13
Mystical Bodies, Mystical Meals
http://wsupress.wayne.edu/judaica/folklore/heckermm/heckerb.html
Joel Hecker, Mystical Bodies, Mystical Meals: Eating and Embodiment in Medieval Kabbalah , Wayne State
University, 2005.

Mystical Bodies, Mystical Meals is a study of mystical eating practices and experiences. Focusing on the Jewish
mystical literature of late-thirteenth-century Spain, Rabbi Dr. Joel Hecker analyzes the ways in which the Zohar
and other contemporaneous literature represent mystical attainment in their homilies about eating. What
emerges is not only consideration of eating practices but, more broadly, the effects such practices and
experiences have on the bodies of its practitioners.

Using anthropology, sociology, ritual studies, and gender theory, Hecker accounts for the internal topography
of the body as imaginatively conceived by kabbalists. For these mystics, the physical body interacts with the
material world to effect transformations within themselves and within the Divinity. The kabbalists experience
the ideal body as one of fullness, one whose boundaries allow for the intake of divine light and power, and for
the outward overflow of fruitfulness and generosity; at the same time, the body retains sufficient integrity to
confer a sense of completeness, as the perfect symbol for the Divinity itself.

Nourishment imagery is used throughout the kabbalah as a metaphor signifying the flow of divine blessing
from the upper worlds to the lower, from masculine to feminine, and from Israel to the Godhead. The body’s
spiritual continuity allows for unions between the kabbalistic devotee and his food, table, chair, and wine and
is exemplified in the practices and experiences surrounding the consumption of food; this continuity is also
applicable to other aspects of embodiment, such as the kabbalist’s union with his fellow man. Mystical Bodies,
Mystical Meals underscores the homosocial quality of the kabbalistic fraternity, in which gendered hierarchies
of master and disciple are linked to the imagery and dynamics of nourishment and sexuality. Bringing this
entire spectrum into focus, Hecker ultimately considers how the oral cavity and stomach, even the emotions
associated with festive meals, are mobilized to produce the soul of the mystical saint in medieval kabbalah.

Table of Contents
1. Give Heed to Me, and You Shall Eat Choice Food”: The Religious Significance of Eating in
Judaism: From the Bible to the Kabbalah
2. “A Blessing in the Belly”: Mystical Satiation
3. “The Bread of Angels”: The Role of Idealized Foods
4. “I Am So Glad to See the Face of the Shekhinah!”: The Social Aspects of Meals
5. “Blessing Does Not Rest on an Empty Place”: Talismanic Theurgy
6. “He Makes Peace and Increases Peace between the Supernal Realm and the Lower Realm”:
Augmentation Theurgy at Mystical Meals

14
 Can you distinguish the taste Umami?
Just as we crave sweets as a spur to seek out carbohydrates, we are also geared to enjoy
glutamate so that we will eat proteins. To understand the taste of umami, imagine a Caesar
salad, redolent of Parmesan cheese, minced anchovies and Worcestershire sauce; or slurping
chicken soup; or biting into a slice of pepperoni-and-mushroom pizza. The savory taste of these
foods, and the full, tongue-coating sensation they provide, is umami. It was identified in the
early 20th century by Kikunae Ikeda, a Japanese scientist who coined the name umami
(pronounced "oo-MA-mee") using the Japanese term for "deliciousness." He found that foods
with the umami taste have a high level of glutamate, an amino acid and a building block of
protein. Ikeda patented a method of making monosodium glutamate, or MSG, a processed
additive that adds umami taste to food, much as sugar makes things taste sweet18.

Umami is a proposed addition to the currently accepted four basic tastes sensed by specialized
receptor cells present on the human tongue. Umami is a Japanese word meaning "savory" or
"meaty", and thus applies to the sensation of savoriness, specifically, to the detection of
glutamates, which are especially common in meats, cheese and other protein-heavy foods. The
action of umami receptors explains why foods treated with monosodium glutamate (MSG)
often taste "heartier".
Glutamate has a long history in cooking: it appears in Asian foods such as soy sauce and fish
sauce, and in Italian food in parmesan cheese and anchovies. It is the taste of Marmite in the
UK, of Golden Mountain sauce in Thailand, of Maggi Sauce worldwide, of Goya Sazón on the
Latin islands of the Caribbean, of Salsa Lizano in Costa Rica and of Kewpie mayonnaise in
Japan. It also is directly available in monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Cells responding to umami taste stimuli do not possess typical synapses but instead secrete the
neurotransmitter ATP in a mechanism exciting sensory fibers that convey taste signals to the
brain. These taste receptors are located everywhere on the tongue.
In monkey studies, most umami signals from taste buds excite neurons in the orbitofrontal
cortex of the brain, showing spatially-specific characteristics. There is a cortical map
representation for the taste of glutamate separate from that of other taste stimuli like sweet
(glucose), salt, bitter (quinine), and sour (hydrochloric acid)
Nearly everyone is able to sense it, although an estimated five per cent
of the population has relatively low sensitivity to umami taste.
Scientists think it might be a measure for determining the protein
content of food, which is essential for survival. Umami as a signal for
encouraging protein consumption. Parmesan cheese, the
quintessential umami reference, is high in protein and glutamate
concentrates. The flavor also comes in vegetarian form. It's the
"meaty" taste especially present in juicy beefsteak tomatoes, sugar
snap peas, grapefruit, tofu and shiitake mushrooms. Piles of umami
toppings on pizza — tomatoes, pepperoni, mozzarella and mushrooms
— could very well be responsible for why people, and especially kids,
love it19.

Jean-Georges Vongerichten's 'umami bomb' of Parmesan custard and white truffles.

18
Compare Katy Mclaughlin, "A New Taste Sensation", Wall Street Journal, December 8, 2007
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119706514515417586.html
19
Compare Sabrina Saccoccio, "Who's umami? Human taste now comes in five flavours," CBC News,
June 1, 2007, http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/senses/umami.html

15