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By Rabbi Naftoly Bier
In ‘נחמי פרק ח,י, Nehemiah 8, 10 it states (in reference to Rosh Hashanah): “Go eat rich foods and drink sweet beverages and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, for today is sacred to Hashem. Do not be sad, for the enjoyment of Hashem is your strength.” How is it possible that on a day as awesome as Rosh Hashana, the day on which we tremble as our future is decided by the Almighty, we are instructed not only to eat, but to partake of a sumptuous delectable meal, all the while inviting our friends to share our delicacies?
The experience which compels us to seek out our responsibilities toward our Creator is our awareness of His constant providential care of us. Every morning when one awakens refreshed and invigorated to embark on a productive course for the day, one needs the necessary nutrients to actualize one’s goal. Every time one eats, one has the wonderful opportunity to reflect on this G-d given gift. But there is more. The Almighty could have created the human without the need for food. He also could have placed colorless pills on trees that would contain all of one’s nutrition. Instead, He gifted us with panoply of colorful foods with an amazing range of taste and smell. Why? To avail one with the opportunity to acknowledge the love and care, benevolence and magnanimity of our Creator who bestows His largesse upon us every single day. The most compelling reason to ask our Almighty, “What is it that you empowered us to be?”, “How do we actualize the ultimate gift of giving us the potential to be a אלקים צלם, a G-dly being?” – is to constantly be aware of Him in our lives.
Each and every meal presents an opportunity of הטוב הכרת, of thanking G-d for our existence and pleasurable experiences. In turn it represents an avenue of connecting to Hashem, embracing Hashem and feeling as close as one can feel to an adoring parent. The creation of man included a manner in which man could be constantly aware of his obligations- henceforth the idea of food. G-d entrusts us “Eat this, enjoy! But don’t eat that!” “Come close to Me on my terms.” The fundamental underpinning of all of spiritual success is following G-d’s dictates; the fundamental way we develop responsible and loving relationships is the appreciation of another, be it G-d or our spouse, sibling, friend, co-worker, community member, or a stranger.
On Shabbos there is a Mitzvah to eat lavishly. Shabbos a day detached from the mundane, a sphere of time created with a metaphysical dynamic where one can feel one’s connection to the Almighty through one’s נשמה, soul; on that spiritual day specifically we eat in order to enhance our awareness of our relationship to G-d. The Ramban (Genesis 1, 29) teaches that the reason humanity was permitted to eat meat after the great flood (Genesis 9, 4) was due to Noach and his sons having saved, fed and cared
for the animals. The question is, if the original prohibition against killing and eating animals presented an ability to develop spiritually, why did that idea of appreciation supersede the original prohibition?
The root cause of the demise of civilization (civility) that preceded the מבול, the Flood, the immoral, depraved, hedonistic, and barbaric behavior of mankind, was the total insensitivity to the nobility and dignity of another human. The world was totally absorbed in selfish pursuit of lust, infatuation, power and desire, precluding self-respect and understanding of one’s innate G-dliness.
To rectify this abhorrent situation the Almighty almost destroyed the human race totally; He then charged Noach and his sons to imbue future offspring with sensitivity to true human dignity.
Eat meat, the Almighty says, for I am teaching you the most important fundamental of life. Transcend self-ab- sorption, recognize that you live on My stage which encom- passes all of humanity and then you will be able to focus on your spiritual development. By allowing us to eat meat due to the appreciation of our saving His animal kingdom, the Almighty teaches us that the fundamental underpinning of all of spiritual and in turn human success depends on הטוב הכרת, appreciation; therefore it supersedes the previous prohibition of not killing animals.
Rosh Hashana is a day of introspection. We reflect on our lost opportunities this past year; we honestly ask ourselves, Is the allurement of the Western world something we aspire for? Do we recognize that we live in totally selfish, self-absorbed, hedonistic society where the ME, MYSELF, and I rules and is the source and root of all action? Even relevant to our spiritual activity, we must honestly ask, “am I truly selfless, or I am acting in a manner to draw attention to myself? Are my actions selflessly predicated in my partnering with all in a timely, productive and inclusive manner? The constant theme of our prayers on Rosh Hashana is the profound appreciation of the Almighty; creating for ourselves an “Island” to separate ourselves from a world of decadence, immorality, hedonism and self-addiction. Never has mankind sunk to such depravity and never has the challenge to transcend self-absorption been so difficult.
The נביא, prophet, instructs us- Eat! For you can, through the medium of food, eat in a noble respectable manner, eat and appreciate that G-d cares about you, and bless Him for the delicious food before and after the meal with emotion and gratitude.
Hashem loves you. He wants you to eat, but to eat for a higher purpose- to gain the energy to be productive and to shower Him with overwhelming thanks for His benevolence. Now that you have once again said, “The world out there has no place for us,” G-d says, “Eat- for on this day you can make your eating a holy experience due to your recreation of focus, your reaffirmation of living a life suffused with Torah. And reflect how much I care about you and love you.”
