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and Satisfaction
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Birkat HaMazon (Grace After Meals) and Satisfaction
(י) וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ וְשָׂבָ֑עְתָּ וּבֵֽרַכְתָּ֙ אֶת־ה' אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ עַל־הָאָ֥רֶץ הַטֹּבָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָֽתַן־לָֽךְ׃

(10) When you have eaten, and you are satisfied, give thanks to Hashem your Gd for the good land which Hashem has given you.

אסור לו לאדם שיהנה מן העולם הזה בלא ברכה: ת"ר אסור לו לאדם שיהנה מן העוה"ז בלא ברכה וכל הנהנה מן העוה"ז בלא ברכה מעל

One is forbidden to derive benefit from this world, which is the property of Gd, without reciting a blessing beforehand. And anyone who derives benefit from this world without a blessing, it is as if he is guilty of misuse of a consecrated object.

דרש רב עוירא זמנין אמר לה משמיה דרבי אמי וזמנין אמר לה משמיה דרבי אסי אמרו מלאכי השרת לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא רבונו של עולם כתוב בתורתך אשר לא ישא פנים ולא יקח שחד והלא אתה נושא פנים לישראל דכתיב ישא ה׳ פניו אליך אמר להם וכי לא אשא פנים לישראל שכתבתי להם בתורה ואכלת ושבעת וברכת את ה׳ אלקיך והם מדקדקים [על] עצמם עד כזית ועד כביצה:

[O]ne who eats a quantity of food that does not satisfy his hunger is [still] obligated by rabbinic law to recite Grace after Meals, the Gemara cites a related homiletic interpretation. Rav Avira taught, sometimes he said it in the name of Rabbi Ami, and sometimes he said it in the name of Rabbi Asi: The ministering angels said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, in Your Torah it is written: “The great, mighty and awesome God who favors no one and takes no bribe” (Deuteronomy 10:17), yet You, nevertheless, show favor to Israel, as it is written: “The Lord shall show favor to you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:26). He replied to them: And how can I not show favor to Israel, as I wrote for them in the Torah: “And you shall eat and be satisfied, and bless the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 8:10), meaning that there is no obligation to bless the Lord until one is satiated; yet they are exacting with themselves to recite Grace after Meals even if they have eaten a piece of bread the size of an olive. Since they go beyond the requirements of the law, they are worthy of favor.

1. How do these two sections of Talmud relate to Torah? Why do you think the rabbis argue this?
2. How do you recognize satisfaction?
Satisfaction as a Spiritual Practice
On Shabbat we are to feast on prayers, study, and food, and feel a special sense of joy and satisfaction. But the state of feeling satisfied is a challenging spiritual practice. The Torah urges us, on Shabbat and everyday, to say a blessing of thanks when we begin, and when we have finished eating, for the purpose of connecting with the ultimate Source of satisfaction, and feeling filled with the Divine Presence. When we pay attention, when we appreciate the present, then we may be satisfied. Rabbi Shohama Harris Wiener, Ekev - You Shall be Satisfied
"Indifference to the sublime wonders of living is the root of sin"
Abraham Joshua Heschel, God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism, 43
It is written: “And you shall eat and you shall be satisfied and you shall bless Hashem, your Gd, for the good land Gd has given you.” This text has been the origin of the Rabbinic teaching that we should always give thanks for our food. But the verse could also be understood as three quite distinct and un-related events: blessing God, being satisfied, and eating. In this formulation, faith becomes unconditional, and not a ‘fair weather’ sentiment. So in this context, ‘being satisfied’ would be not just a spontaneous emotional reaction to something received, but also – much more profoundly – an attitude freely chosen (and perhaps hard won): it would be the act of being present non-judgmentally to the Source of All Life [...]. [Satisfaction] does not have to be conditional on our getting what we want, but could be simply a heart-opening response of gratitude in the direct encounter with the Source. Alexander Massey, B'rich Rachamana
"Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement… get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed." Abraham Joshua Heschel