We begin today's session with a heavy heart. We regret to share the passing of Mr. Vico Mizrahi, known as Hayim Rifa'el Ben Mazal, the esteemed benefactor of Bikim Bahalacha, for whom we have been praying. The entire Bikim Bahalacha was dedicated in his honor. His children did everything possible to keep him alive, including making these dedications and learning, but ultimately, the Holy One, blessed be He, has other plans. We will continue to learn every single day, especially during these critical days. His sons served him well during his lifetime, and we have no doubt they will continue to honor his memory. We respect the family's privacy, and further details will follow. Today, we dedicate this learning, "V'ki'im halacha la'ilu nishmat ha'im v'fael ben mazam staviko mezra' alava shalom," by his children, "yibadu la'haim tuvim alukim u shalom." Bikim Bahalacha 7 is dedicated in memory of Dan Ya'koel, may he rest in peace. Today is day 34, sponsored in memory of Sophie and Raymond Braha, Rahamim Ben Sara, Sara Sophia Bat Salha, and Joel Cohen (Josep Benina), in honor of Cookie Cohen, by Rene and David Braha, their children and grandchildren.
We are on page 76, discussing the principle: "Lo yukhal adam achet et malek kereso ela yifhod kemo rabia misab'ato." This means one should not eat until completely full; rather, one should leave about 25% of the stomach capacity empty. The challenge lies in the delay between eating and the brain's processing of fullness. One might feel hungry, continue eating, and suddenly realize they have overeaten, reaching a state beyond full. Therefore, it is crucial to stop eating midway and allow time for the sensation of fullness to register, aiming for about 75% capacity. This is not an immediate process; the stomach sends messages to the brain, but there is a delay. If you eat until you feel full, you have already eaten too much. This requires self-awareness and trial and error to determine the precise point at which to stop, knowing that the feeling of 75% fullness will eventually register. This rule, advocated by the Rambam, is essentially a "Maimonides diet" or a Mediterranean diet, emphasizing 75% capacity. Since everyone's body is different, one must gauge their own experience, recognizing when a certain amount of food leads to feeling "gorged" 20 minutes later, indicating they have exceeded the limit. The wisdom is to stop at an earlier point.
The text states, "Ba'akhilad gasah samamavit," meaning overeating is death. This highlights the ancient understanding of the dangers of overconsumption, a topic widely discussed today. Overeating is identified as the source of all sicknesses, whether due to unhealthy food choices or simply consuming too much, even of good foods. For example, excessive fish consumption can lead to elevated lead levels. Even beneficial foods require balance. As Shlomo Hamelech said in his wisdom, "Shomer p'ivu shonoh shonat nafsho," which is often interpreted as "watch your mouth" in terms of speech. However, it also applies to what one "imports" into the mouth. By being mindful of both what one says and what one eats, one can avoid much trouble. The first sin, after all, involved eating something forbidden.
The discussion then turns to a well-known question: "Yom HaRas says Haman min haTorah min ayin" – where is Haman's name found in the Torah? The straightforward answer is that his name is not explicitly written in the Torah. However, a playful interpretation suggests a connection through the verse where God asks Adam, "Hamina et?" – "Did you eat from the tree?" The word "Hamin" sounds similar to Haman. While this is a clever play on words, it is not a literal finding of Haman's name. The Gemara, when discussing the "Gezira" (decree) of Haman, is not seeking his name but rather the underlying concept. When Rabbi Shimon Ben-Yohai was asked why the decree occurred, the explanation given was that the Jewish people indulged at a party. Whether the food was entirely kosher or not, their overindulgence, perhaps even consuming "Mezonot" on wraps, was seen as problematic. The Gemara then asks if there is a precedent for a death penalty resulting from eating something not kosher. It points to the first sin, where eating forbidden food led to severe consequences, establishing a precedent that consuming non-kosher items can indeed bring terrible outcomes. Thus, the search is for the concept of the decree, not merely Haman's name. The verse "Shomai p'ivu l'shonoh. Shomai me'sserat nafshonah" is further explained: "Hu shomai me'chvatoh, v'shonoh shomai me'sserat nafshonah. Shomai p'ivu melechol, v'mesbo shonoh me'davei v'ayit." This emphasizes guarding one's mouth both in terms of speech ("p'ivu") and in terms of what one consumes ("in stop").
Next, we discuss the prohibition of "As-sul-l-nol-biz-zeon-mukh-lim," which means one cannot treat food with disrespect. The reason, "Mipned-im-me'zi-kim-bo-it. V'tu-vash-ish-per-gim-bar-ru-hu-ba-o-la," is that God has given a blessing, and mistreating it is a form of disrespect. Several halachot derive from this principle. For example, "As-sul-l-z-rok-ukh-lim-a-ni-m-a-si-ba-i-di-z-li-ka" prohibits throwing soft foods like overripe figs, as they will smash and be wasted. The same applies to hard nuts. This relates to the practice of people sitting on boxes of fruit in a fruit store, crushing the produce. The rule is "aval yeshivu al igul she'nevela, al kupah mele'a ketniyon," meaning it is permissible to sit on hard items that will not be damaged. The explanation, according to Rashi in Masiket Ta'anit, and cited by the Sefer Anuk, is that the concept behind the mitzvah of "Bal Tashchit" (do not destroy) is to teach us to love what is good and beneficial and to become attached to it. By doing so, one becomes fond of performing acts of goodness and distances oneself from all evil and destruction. This is the way of the pious and devout, who love peace, are pleased by others' prosperity, and strive to bring others closer to the Torah. Such individuals would not want to destroy anything, not even a mustard seed, and are pained by waste and destruction, doing everything to prevent it. The wicked, conversely, take pleasure in killing and destroying. God rewards each person according to their behavior, favoring those who desire goodness and take pleasure in the existence of creation. This reflects a fundamental nature: good people do not want to waste or destroy things. This is why one should not rip leaves off trees or break objects without purpose. This principle extends to food, raising questions about actions like throwing bread, using bread as a sunblock, an armrest, or a door wedge, or placing food on the floor or hanging it. These are all considerations that fall under the prohibition of disrespecting food.
Baruch Ha'olam. Amen.