The weekly message from Rabbi Nachman Kahana touches on the connection between Chapter 8 of Deuteronomy (part of Parshah [weekly Torah reading] Eikev, Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25), last week’s Tisha B’Av holiday (which occurred a week and a half ago) and the Birkat Hamazaon (grace after meals).
Rabbi Kahana, the spiritual leader of the Chazon Yechezkel synagogue in Jerusalem's Old City, grew up in Brooklyn and has something of a following among New York City-area supporters of a strong, safe Israel.
Early on in his weekly message, Rabbi Kahana asks: “So why did the rabbis institute the refraining from food on the national mourning day of Tish’a Be’Av?”
In answering this question, Rabbi Kahana focuses in particular on Chapter 3 of Birkah Hamazon, which he refers to as “our prayer to HaShem that He deal compassionately with His people Yisrael [the Jewish people] and His city Yerushalayim [Jerusalem]and Zion, and restore the Davidic Monarchy and Bet Hamikdash.”
Rabbi Kahana explains: “It was the rabbis’ intention to heighten the feeling [on Tisha B'Av] of total devastation at the loss of our Bet Hamikdash [Temple in Jerusalem], the abolition of our national independence and our forced exile from Eretz Yisrael [land of Israel], to the extent that we may not even mention these holy matters even in Birkat Hamazon, because by refraining from eating we will not be obligated to recite Birkat Hamazon.”
However, Rabbi Kahana offers his own position that: “This was perhaps the original intent of our rabbis, and I am quite certain that the desired effect of feeling our total devastation was accomplished. But, unfortunately, as we became more accustomed to life in the galut, especially in the 'golden' ones, our sharp religious-national reactions became dulled. The music in the word YERUSHALAYIM became common place, even wearisome, and Birkat Hamazon became a tedious duty.”
Near the end of his weekly message, Rabbi Kahana writes: “How strange it seems to me, that a Jew living in Chicago and eating bread made from wheat grown in Kansas, declares the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael [the Land of Israel], Yerushalayim [Jerusalem] and the Bet Hamikdash [Temple in Jerusalem]. The kindest word I can find for this conduct is ‘ludicrous,’ when in reality it is much more serious than just ludicrous.”
Rabbi Kahana's weekly message is available online.
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