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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Sit When You Bentch

After one has finished their meal, the Torah tells us to thank Hashem for the food by reciting birkas hamazon. The recital should be said sitting, as this helps increase concentration and focus.
Tosfos brings in the name of R. Moshe Albert (see reference) a hint from the Torah itself for the sitting requirement: The passuk says "ואכלת ושבעת וברכת - and you shall eat and be satisfied, and you shall say grace." The latter two words can be split up to read "שב עת ברכת - sit at the time you say grace."
Interesting to note, R. Yosef Chaim of Baghdad, the Ben Ish Chai, would say that this teaches us to sit when we eat as well, as we can understand the hint of "שב עת - sit at the time" as a reference to the word preceding it "ואכלת - when you eat."
תוספות ברכות נא, ב ד"ה והלכתא
אמרי בינה (להבן איש חי) חלק "עושה פלא" פרק ב אות טו
ועי' ספר "תוספות איוורא" למס' סוטה שדן בארוכה בהמובא ששם "אלברט" היא טעות וצ"ל משה מ"איוורא", מגדולי התוספות, רבו של ר' יונה מגרוגדי - בעל עליות דרבינו יונה
See here

1 comment:

  1. Does this pertain to Al Hamichya, Bore Nefoshos?

    Or the Pousik is only referring to the Bentching which is Biblical?

    ReplyDelete