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Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Al Naharos Bavel Before Bentching

The Zohar (קנז, ב) states that one who partakes of a meal and enjoys the food should remember the holy land and the destroyed Temple. Therefore, the wide-spread custom is to recite the Psalm "On the banks of the rivers of Babylon..." which mourns the destruction of the Temple prior to reciting Birkas Hamazon. (מג"א סי' א' סק"ה)
Now, this custom is - as its title indicates - is not more than a custom. However, R. Moshe ben Machir, 16th century sage of Tzfas, in his famous work "Seder Hayom" shares an allusion to this idea from the chapter in Tehillim itself: The chapter that directly proceeds it contains the following words near its conclusion "He who gives bread to all living beings." It is reasonable that the following chapter of "On the banks of the rivers of Babylon..." should be juxtaposed to Birkas Hamazon which is recited over bread.
סדר היום ריש זכר החורבן וחיבו הלמוד בשעת אכילה וסדר ברהמ"ז
See here

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