What are the connotations of "ve'Achalta ve'Sava'ata u'Verachta ... "?
Rashi (in B'rachos, 15a) and Ramban #1 (citing Brachos, 58b): It presents the Mitzvas Asei 1 of Birkas ha'Mazon after 2 eating bread 3 (to bless Hashem for the satisfying food and for the good land 4 that He gave us as an everlasting inheritance - Ramban).
Ramban #2:It means 'When you remember the slavery in Egypt and the affliction of the desert, and when you eat and are satiated in the good land, you will bless Hashem on it.
Seforno: 'To remind ourselves that all the above-mentioned things that we receive are from Hashem'. 5
Bava Metzi'a, 114a: It teaches us that Hekdesh requires B'rachah - Because Hashem wants us to bless Him. 6
Ramban: Similar to 22:8 and 16:1.
See also Ba'al ha'Turim.
Yerushalmi B'rachos, 7:1: "u'Verachta" - 'Zu Birchas ha'Zimun'; "es Hashem Elokecha" - 'Zi Birchas ha'Zan'; "al ha'Aretz' - 'Zu Birchas ha'Aretz; 'ha'Tovah" - 'Zu Birchas Boneh Yerushalayim'; "asher Nasan lach" - 'Zu Borchas ha'Tov ve'ha'Meitiv'. See Torah Temimah, note 23.
As if the Torah had written 've'Al ha'Aretz ha'Tovah'.
See Torah Temimah, note 21.
What are the implictations of "ve'Achalta ve'Sava'ata u'Verachta ... "?
B'rachos, 20b: It implies that one is only required to be satisfied - and it is because we (favor Hashem and) Bensch even after eating a k'Zayis or a k'Beitzah that Hashem favors us. 1
See Torah Temimah, citing B'rachos, Ibid. and refer to Bamidbar, 6:26:151:3 and note 1.
Bearing in mind that "Hashem" implies Midas Rachamim, and "Elokim", Midas ha'Din, what are the implications of the phrase "u'Verachta es Hashem Elokecha"?
B'rachos, 49a: It implies that one is obligated to bless and thank Hashem for the bad 1 as well as for the good.
Avudraham: "u'Veirachta es Hashem ... " comes to include a B'rachah on behalf of one's host. 2
What is the source for reciting a B'rachah before eating?
B'rachos, 35a: We learn it from the Pesukim in Tehilim, one - "la'Hashem ha'Aretz u'Melo'ah", 34:1 indicating that the world and all that is in it belongs to Hashem, the other - "ve'ha'Aretz Nasan li'Venei Adam", 115:15, indicating that it belongs to man. And we explain that the former is speaking before one has recited the appropriate B'rachah, and the latter, after one has done so. 1
Seeing as Hashem is Perfect and nothing we do or say can add to that perfection, what is the point of reciting a B'rachah?
Seforno: We recite Birchas ha'Mazon in order to remind ourselves that all the goodness that we have comes from Hashem. Presumably, the same reason applies to the B'rachah that we recite before eating.
R. Bachye #1: We recite Birchos ha'Nehenin, not for the benefit of Hashem, but for our own benefit - seeing as when we benefit from this world, it behoves us to acknowledge from Whom it came, and on the merit of that acknowledgement, Hashem continues to shower the world with blessings. 1
R. Bachye #2 (according to Kabalah): We recite Birchos ha'Nehenin for the benefit of Hashem (Kevayachol) as well, since His power to bless us increases when we bless Him. 2
R. Bachye:. In fact, 'someone who derives benefit from the world and fails to recite a Birchas ha'Nehenin is akin to stealing from Hakadosh-Baruch-Hu (the acknowledgement that is His) and from Keneses Yisrael', as the Gemara states in B'rachos, 35b.
See R. Bachye, who elaborates and who equates this with the Gemara in Bava Metzoi'a, 114a, which specifically states that Hekdesh requires a B'rachah. See Torah Temimah, note 21.
What are the implications of "Ve'achalta Vesava'ata u'Veirachta"?
Targum Yonasan and B'rachos 20b (according to R. Yehudah): "Ve'achalta Vesava'ata" implies that the obligation to recite Birchas ha'Mazon is confined to where one eats (bread) to satiation. 1
B'rachos 49b (according to R. Meir): "Ve'achalta", implies a ke'Zayis and "Vesava'ata" that one should also drink 2 in order to recite Birchas ha'Mazon.
Sotah 33a: It implies that one may recite Birchas ha'Mazon in any language that one understands. 3
Yerushalmi B'rachos, 3:3: It implies that only a person who is Chayav to recite Birchas ha'Mazon can actually renders others Yotzei, but not someone who has already recited it. 4
Yerushalmi B'rachos, 3:3 #1: It implies that everyone who eats and is satisfied is Chayav to Bensch min ha'Torah, even women, Avadim 5 and Ketanim. 6
Yerushalmi T'rumos, 11:4: Seeing as "Vesava'ata" incorporates drinking 7 it implies that someone who is Shikor is permitted to recite Birchas ha'Mazon. 8
However, the Chachamim obligated Birchas ha'Mazon after eating even a ke'Beitzah of bread.
See Torah Temimah, note 15.
Though if one understands Lashon ha'Kodesh, it is preferable to recite it in Lashon ha'Kodesh (Torah Temimah in Va'eschanan), with reference to the Sh'ma.
See Torah Temimah, note 18.
See Torah Temimah note 18, who cites the Bavli and elaborates.
Presumably, the Yerushalmi inserts Ketanim - who are only Chayav Mitzvos mi'de'Rabbanan - because they are generally listed together with Nashim and Ketanim.
Refer to 8:10:151:2.
See Torah Temimah, note 19.
What did Birkas ha'Mazon comprise before Yisrael entered Eretz Yisrael?
Rosh (in Bamidbar 34:2): It comprised only Birchas ha'Zan. After they entered the land, the Chachamim added Birchas ha'Aretz. 1 After the Churban of Yerushalayim, they added 'Boneh Yerushalayim', and after permission was granted to bury the dead of Beitar, they added 'ha'Tov ve'ha'Meitiv' - 'ha'Tov', that the bodies did not decay all those years, and 'ha'Meitiv', that they were able to bury them.
Rosh: The most 'beloved' B'rachah is Birchas ha'Aretz, as Chazal said 'Whoever does not mention Eretz Chemdah, B'ris, Torah, life and food in Birkas ha'Mazon is not Yotzei.
