The sixth and seventh chapters of Mishnayos Brachos deal with blessings on food. In praising the land of Israel the Chumash states that it is rich in grains, grapes, sweet fruits, olive oil, and honey. Bread, iron, and copper are also mentioned. It continues by saying, “You will eat, be satisfied, and bless Hashem your G-d for the good land he has given you,” (Deuteronomy 8:10). The message is that good food is a vehicle for appreciating the goodness of the Holy Land and the goodness of G-d. The intent, though, of this verse is not specifically thanksgiving for the food. The Gemara considers this verse with others and suggests that they are the Biblical source for generally saying blessings on food. The Gemara also says that because the world belongs to G-d, it is logical to say “please” and “thank you” when partaking in its bounty. The conclusion is that the Tanakh only requires a blessing after eating bread and maybe on the other produce that is specifically mentioned. However, the rabbis require that blessings be said before and after eating most foods, intimating that this is a true desire of Hashem.
The Mishnah does not state a source of a reason for saying brachos on foods; rather it simply gives the laws concerning them. It also assumes that everybody knows that all blessings begin with the phrase, “Blessed is the Lord or G-d, king of the universe”. The ending specifies the food being eaten. The chapter opens by saying on fruit one would conclude, “Creator of fruits of the tree”. Then because of its importance, a special blessing is designated for wine, “Creator of fruit of the vine”. It then says for fruit of the land, one would say, “Creator of fruit of the ground”. But because bread is important, it has a special blessing, "Who brings forth bread from the earth".
Rabbi Yehuda comments that concerning fruits of the earth that another form of the blessing should be added, “Who created various types of herbs”. His view is that the varying types of plant foods like berries, nuts, legumes, stalks, and leaves, should each have a distinctive blessing. The dissent, perhaps because it would excessively complicate, is not accepted.
The Mishnah continues with a discussion of foods that are not fruits and vegetables. On these the blessing is “for everything that exists because of his word”, often simply referred to as shehakol (for all -שֶהַכּׂל). It’s a catchall blessing expressing the idea that all food exists by the word of G-d. This includes animal products and agricultural products that have been processed to the point they have lost their original form for example chocolate candy. It also includes fruits that have fallen from the tree before they are ripe. The idea here is to include things that really are not proper food, even though people do eat them. Concerning edible locusts Rabbi Yehuda brings a dissent, also not accepted, saying these are fundamentally a curse, therefore one should not say any blessing on them.
Shehakol is also philosophically diverse. Things like mushrooms, coffee, sugar, and saccharin are not morally problematic. There does seem to be a Biblical aversion to meat but it is difficult to say that milk is materially different from wool. It would seem that the Mishna is not happy about junk food. The fundamental message seems to be that a person should not only be thankful to G-d for the good food and the good land, but also should take an interest in the things that he eats and generally look at the world with wonder.
לע"נ סימע בת אליעזר ז"ל נלב"ע יט חשון תש"ל
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