In this week’s Torah portion, Ekev, the Torah commands: “When you have eaten your fill, give thanks to Adonai your God for the good land given to you — v’achalta, v’savata, u’verachta et Adonai Elochecha al ha-aretz ha-tova asher natan lach.” (Deuteronomy 8:10) We are commanded to offer a blessing of thanksgiving upon the completion of a satiating meal. In fact, the commandment to offer a blessing of thanksgiving after a meal is the only blessing literally commanded in the Torah. The commandment to bless after a meal is fulfilled by the recitation of Birkat Ha-Mazon. The text of Birkat Ha-Mazon consists of four distinct blessings. The first blessing, Birkat Ha-Zan, the blessing for providing food, acknowledges God’s ultimate role in providing food for the world. The second blessing, Birkat Ha-Aretz, the blessing over the land, thanks God for delivering Israel out of the land of Egypt, for entering into a covenant with Israel, and for establishing the land of Israel as an inheritance. The third blessing, Birkat Yerushalayim, the blessing for Jerusalem, prays for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and her sustained peace. The fourth blessing, Birkat Ha-tov v’Ha-Maytiv, the blessing for good and doing good, added after the destruction of the Second Temple, highlights God’s goodness in the world.

Why is there a need for such an elaborate blessing after we finish eating?

When we are hungry, it is natural for us to be thankful for food. However, when we are satisfied and full, it is rather easy to take food for granted. The recitation of Birkat Ha-Mazon after a meal provides us with the opportunity to be particularly mindful of the blessings in our lives, in particular the blessing of sustenance. Moreover, by taking the time to offer a blessing after we eat, we remind ourselves of our communal responsibility to make sure that all people have enough healthful and nutritious food so that they too may be satiated. Through God’s will, the earth is capable of providing food for all people. It is up to us to make sure that the resources and tools we have been given are used responsibly and that food is distributed fairly among the world’s population. There is no reason that anyone in our world today should go to bed hungry.

In Pirkei Avot, the Sayings of the Fathers, we learn that where there is no sustenance, there is no Torah; when there is no Torah, there is no sustenance — Im ayn kemach, ayn Torah; im ayn Torah, ayn kemach. Torah, our spiritual nourishment, is for naught without the physical nourishment that comes from wholesome food. Just as we strive to bring light to the world through our words of Torah, so too must we work to bring about God’s will by striving to eradicate hunger from our world. This Shabbat, may we not only rejoice in our double portion, but share in it with others who are in need.