oefnd zkxa Thanksgiving After Meals
Judaism speaks of a three–way connection between God, human beings and the world. There is no act which cannot be lifted out of the realm of the ordinary and mundane and given a dimension of holiness: in the kitchen and the dining–room as much as in prayer or study. The family table is the altar of the small sanctuary, where hospitality can be practised and eating can be something more than the mere intake of food. Through the act of blessing before and after meals we can acknowledge the source of our sustenance in God and so become more aware of ourselves and our place in the universe of creation. The basic Thanksgiving after Meals can be seen in the shorter form (III) on pages 482 – 483. The first two paragraphs, traditionally, were instituted by Moses and Joshua – that is to say they are seen as having great antiquity and authority. The third is a messianic vision of Jerusalem. The fourth was instituted after the Bar Kochba revolt in 135 CE, the last military attempt at Jewish independence under the Romans. The four paragraphs indicate four primary Jewish teachings: ‘who gives food to all’ is a reminder that as God’s agents we are duty–bound to ensure that all are fed. ‘for the land and for the food’speaks of the need to care for the earth that yields so much and is abused so easily. ‘who builds Jerusalem’ reminds us that concern with what we eat and how we eat is part of our responsibility in the building of God’s kingdom. ‘who does good to all’ speaks of the need to be sensitive to the quality of the lives of the creatures we eat and the manner of their deaths.
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