Rabbi Mordechai Becher, originally from Australia, is an instructor at Yeshiva University and alumni Rabbi of Neve Yerushalayim College. He received his ordination from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem and holds an MA in Medieval Jewish History from the Bernard Revel Graduate School where he is a doctoral candidate. He taught at Ohr Somayach and Neve Yerushalayim in Jerusalem and served in the Israel Defense Forces. Rabbi Becher has answered thousands of questions on AsktheRabbi.org, presents a Talmud class, Dimensions of the Daf, for the Jewish Broadcasting Service and was senior lecturer for Gateways for 20 years. Rabbi Becher’s latest book, Gateway to Judaism, published by Artscroll, is in its tenth printing. He has taught in the USA, Canada, England, Israel, South Africa, Australia and Russia, and is a scholar in residence for Legacy Kosher Tours. He has led tours in Africa, Australia, Czech Republic, China, England, Hungary, India, Italy, Israel, Japan, Morocco, Panama, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.
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This short 'sermon' is fabulous!! Bless you, Rabbi Becher for your perspective and insight! Yes, this whole concept of how and why we perform blessings at mealtimes is very beautiful.
I have never broken down the specific meaning of 'birchot' in this way before, however. To appreciate it now as congruent with the pools 'brichot' of the fountainhead from which everything flows, is simply sublime in this specific context.
So, to me now, saying mealtime blessings has become 'a sweet nothing' directly into the ear of our Creator... a very personal 'love letter', if you will. Spoken aloud. Thank you!