We begin today’s session with a prayer for the complete healing of Chaim Rifa’el Ben Mazal, who is undergoing sensitive operations. With God’s help, the collective learning of approximately 6,000 individuals and the accompanying charity should stand as a merit for his swift and complete recovery. Amen. This is the seventh session of B'kiim ba'alacha, the Vico Mizrahi edition, and the Dania Koel, Alava Shalom Edition. Today marks day 24, sponsored in loving memory of Yitzhak Ben Simcha and Felicia Bat Miriam Marciano, dedicated by Solomon and Meta, Ezra, Shaul, Marciano, may God keep them alive. Amen.
Yesterday, we discussed the concern of providing food to someone known not to intend to recite a blessing. This was deemed problematic, potentially leading to a desecration of God’s name or creating animosity. We explored various solutions, such as reciting the blessing aloud and having the recipient answer "Amen," or gently explaining the importance of blessings. Some rabbis even suggested refusing to serve those who would not recite blessings. We concluded yesterday with a ruling from **Rabbi Eliashev**, who stated that one must refuse to contribute to another's sin. However, if such a refusal would endanger one's livelihood, for instance, by leading to dismissal from employment, then one may comply.
Now, a new question arises: What about selling food? For example, if one owns a kiosk or a vending machine in a Jewish neighborhood, should there be concern that customers might purchase sodas or other items without reciting blessings? Similarly, in a store where people buy goods, are we obligated to worry if they do not recite blessings? One could argue that this scenario differs significantly from directly giving food. When someone comes to my house, I am actively providing them with food. If they then fail to recite a blessing, it is problematic because I am directly enabling their omission. Furthermore, they cannot simply take food from my house without my consent, so I am, in a sense, "setting them up."
However, when food is sold, the situation changes. The customer purchases the item, and once the transaction is complete, the food belongs to them. If they take it home, I do not know what they will do with it there. Perhaps they will recite a blessing, or even repent before eating. Therefore, the Sages tend to be lenient in these cases. Although the **Hazon Ish** suggested that vending machines and stores should display signs with blessings, perhaps we should implement this by placing stickers or magnets with the blessing for beverages, "She'a Kol Niyavet Baro," along with a reminder to recite blessings. This would be a worthwhile project for those interested in promoting the observance of blessings, perhaps for vending machines in camps and schools, and for grocery stores. A prominent sign at the entrance could read: "Thank you for patronizing our shop; please do not forget to recite blessings."
A note further clarifies this distinction: While it is permitted to give food to someone who will not perform ritual hand-washing, this leniency applies only if the recipient is about to eat it immediately. If the recipient takes the food home, it is permissible to sell it, as there is a possibility they will perform the commandment when they decide to eat. Based on this, a grocer may sell food to a non-observant customer. The question then extends to restaurant customers. The **Turat Hadas of Lublin** and **Kaf Hachaim** rule that it is likewise permissible to serve them. They offer several reasons: first, the obligation to recite blessings is a rabbinic commandment, not a Torah law, so one is not causing a transgression of a Torah commandment. Second, the prohibition of placing a stumbling block before the blind only applies if the person cannot obtain the food elsewhere. If one restaurateur refuses to serve them, another will, meaning the sin is not directly attributable to the first restaurateur. **Hashem at the Nevi** suggested that these rules apply to hosts serving food, but it is permissible to sell food to a non-observant Jew. Following this, it is permissible for hotel keepers and restaurant caterers to serve non-observant people, as they are paying for services, and the food is theirs. The same logic applies to vending machines that dispense food and beverages: if customers could not get food from one machine, they would get it elsewhere.
The **Hazon Ish** was once asked about the permissibility of running a refreshment stand where many customers would eat without reciting a blessing. He replied that the vendor should display a large placard with the words of the blessing, and then could sell goods to everyone. This is recorded in **Maasei Ish**. **Esketeru** suggested that such a sign should also include the final blessing. This recommendation should be applied to vending machines as well.
Moving on to a profoundly important topic, we discuss the sanctity of eating. Beyond the laws of kosher food, there is a specific protocol for how one conducts oneself at the table. The dining table is likened to the altar in the Temple, and just as the altar is holy, so too is the table. One must be very careful about what is placed on the table, what is discussed at the table, and how one sits at the table. Our Sages taught that when three people sit at a table and discuss Torah, it is as if they are eating from God's table. The meals one eats are likened to a sacrifice. When the Holy Temple stood, it atoned for our sins. In our times, it is a person's table that atones. The Mishnah explains that this atonement is achieved by sharing food with the poor. In addition, **Shasun** added that atonement can be achieved through discussing Torah topics during the meal. Since the dining table is like the altar, one should not even kill a louse on it, as that would be akin to killing it on the altar itself. For this reason, many pious individuals always spread a tablecloth over their dining table, out of respect for its sanctity.
The speaker recounted a personal experience: "In my youth, I studied Torah under the great and pious **Rav Shlomo**. When I took leave to go to my wedding, I asked him for a blessing and instructions for life. He told me, 'You should sanctify yourself in two ways: your eating and your marital relations. Be very careful to distance yourself from any food or marital act that has any chance of being forbidden, and you will sanctify yourself through these activities. The other commandments of the Torah do not make such a physical impression on the person.' He emphasized the kitchen and the bedroom as two areas where one must be extremely careful not to err."
The **Ben Ish Chai** taught a beautiful lesson regarding the sanctity of a person. We have a rule on the Sabbath that when one recites Kiddush, it must be followed by a meal, meaning one must eat bread or other grain products. The **Ben Ish Chai** asked, "Where does a person's sanctity come from?" He answered that it comes during the meal. The greatest litmus test for a person's holiness, the way to measure their sanctity, is to observe them at the table and see how they eat. There is a famous story about a man in a certain town who, despite being unlearned, could predict the future. People assumed he must be holy, but this is a mistake, as such abilities can sometimes stem from negative spiritual forces. One must be discerning, as some individuals who claim to see the future may be drawing their power from impure sources. Such individuals existed even in the time of **King Saul**.
The people of Saloniki, perplexed by this man, approached **Rabbi Yosef Kobo**, the rabbi of their community, and asked if the man was legitimate. **Rabbi Kobo** instructed them simply: "Go observe him at his table when he eats." They returned with a report that the man ate like a glutton. **Rabbi Kobo** then declared that if he ate like a glutton, his abilities were coming from the dark side; he was not a legitimate holy man. Thus, from observing his behavior at the table, the rabbi was able to discern the man's true spiritual state. **Rav Chidab** records this story, noting that **Rabbi Yosef Kobo** concluded that there was no need for further investigation, as the man's eating habits revealed him to be possessed by evil powers. The Holy **Zohar** states that overeating causes one to be possessed by satanic forces. The verse in Proverbs (13:25) states, "A righteous person eats to satisfy his soul." In contrast, the belly of the wicked is always empty; they always have room for more. The numerical value of the word "belly" (*beten*) is 61, the same as the word "impurity" (*tum'ah*), illustrating how impurity can stem from the belly. The issue is not eating non-kosher food, but rather eating too much kosher food.
In earlier generations, people did not consume meat regularly; it was typically reserved for the Sabbath Torah. Even then, it was eaten in moderation. Today, however, many people frequent restaurants during the week, ordering large steaks with all the accompaniments and specific cooking instructions. Eating has become a central focus, an "experience" that consumes much conversation and attention. This overindulgence, even in kosher food, detracts from sanctity. The speaker recalled an incident where **Rabbi Zaks** was shocked to overhear a man discussing his dinner menu with his wife, specifically refusing to eat fish two nights in a row, a conversation that seemed utterly foreign to the rabbi's own experience of simple acceptance of whatever food was provided.
We are surrounded by advertisements for food and restaurants, and new cookbooks tantalize us with elaborate pictures of delicacies. Yet, the **Ramban** taught that the destruction of the body is the construction of the soul, and conversely, the construction of the body is the destruction of the soul. These two "kings" cannot coexist at their peak; one must be lowered for the other to ascend. The righteous individuals of previous generations ate, but they did not overeat or indulge. The **Hazon Ish** reportedly lived in a home where, when a new bride commented on the deliciousness of a meal, she was met with surprise, as such comments were not customary; one simply ate without discussion. This highlights a standard of piety that emphasizes eating for sustenance rather than for pleasure or indulgence. It is worthwhile to be aware of the standards of sanctity dictated by our Sages throughout the generations, understanding that merely being kosher does not necessitate overconsumption. Our conduct at the table, and the way we eat, serve as a measure of our spiritual state.