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Why does the Gemara (גמרא) compare eating without a bracha to Yerovam ben Nevat's idolatry? The shiur develops the principle that blessings serve two purposes: asking God's permission and requesting replacement of consumed resources. This yesod reframes brachos as recognizing both divine ownership and our obligation to preserve the world for others, combating self-centeredness at its root.
Rabbi Zweig begins with a striking statement from the Gemara (גמרא) that seems hyperbolic: whoever eats without a blessing is compared to Yerovam ben Nevat, the paradigmatic wicked king who led Israel into idolatry. This appears to be an extreme exaggeration—how can failing to make a bracha compare to such grievous sins? Rashi (רש"י) explains that one who eats without a blessing sets a bad example for others, but Rabbi Zweig asks: many sins involve setting bad examples, and surely sins like speaking lashon hara or stealing are worse than omitting a blessing. What makes this particular transgression so severe? The shiur then examines Parshas Terumah's verse (Shemos 23:25): "You shall serve Hashem (ה׳) your God, and He will bless your bread and your water, and I will remove illness from your midst." The Gemara reads "u'veirach" (He will bless) as referring to our obligation to bless our food before eating. But Rabbi Zweig raises three difficulties: First, if the verse means we should bless, why does it say "He will bless" rather than "you shall bless"? Second, the Gemara elsewhere (Brachos 35a) states that before one makes a blessing, food belongs to God; only after the blessing does it become ours. So how can the verse speak of blessing "your bread" before the blessing is made? Third, the Gemara in one place (35a) says it's logical (sevara) that one must bless before eating, requiring no verse, yet in another place (48b) derives this obligation from our verse—why is a source needed if it's self-evident logic?
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Shemos 23:25 (Parshas Mishpatim/Terumah context)
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