“You will eat and you will be satisfied, and bless Hashem your G-d for the good Land that He gave you.” (Devarim 8:10)
This is the source in the Torah of the positive mitzvah to recite the Grace After Meals. Birchas HaMazon contains four blessings, though only three are Torah-mandated. The Talmud (Brachos 48b) expounds that the first blessing thanks Hashem for our sustenance; the second is the blessing of the land of our inheritance; and the third blessing refers to the rebuilding of Yerushalayim.
The fourth blessing is hatov v’hameitiv, thanking Hashem who is good and does good to all, and it was instituted by our sages in Yavneh to commemorate the miracle of the martyrs of Beitar.
The Talmud (Gittin 57a) relates that the people of Beitar joined Bar Kochba in rebelling against Roman rule 60 years after the destruction of the Second Temple. They were killed by the armies of Hadrian, and their bodies were not buried; instead, they were piled to form a wall around Hadrian’s large vineyard, which measured 18 mil by 18 mil (approximately 11.5 miles). The sages teach that their blood fertilized the fields for seven years.
The Talmud asks: The people of the city were righteous – why were they punished? Rav Yosef says it was because they did not mourn the destruction of the Temple. In the Talmud Yerushalmi (Taanis 4:5), Rav Yose adds that the people lit lights, indicating unseemly festivities.
Several years later, when the slain of Beitar received a proper burial – one of the six joyous events on the 15th of Av – this blessing was instituted to thank Hashem for the fact that the corpses had not decomposed in all that time and were ultimately buried appropriately.
The question is asked: The death of the people of Beitar was a tragedy, and now they at least merited to be buried. Why do we make a blessing?
The Shvilei Pinchas explains that the essence of the miracle was to demonstrate the incredible hashgacha (Divine Providence). Although the people had to be punished, nevertheless Hashem guarded the corpses and they did not decay despite their years-long exposure to the elements.
What is the connection of this blessing to Birchas HaMazon? The Baal HaTurim says it is a mussar haskel – a lesson in ethical and spiritual conduct. The Torah warns the Jewish People (Devarim 11:15-16), lest they be led astray and forget Hashem when they “eat and are satisfied,” i.e., when they are living securely and enjoying all of their physical comforts. Even here, in the recitation of the Grace After Meals – after one is sated and content – one recalls Beitar so as not to forget Hashem.
The Meshech Chachmah comments that this is a blessing to counter despair as we await the rebuilding of Yerushalayim. It evokes hope and faith in the future, that He who is good and bestows good will fulfill His promise and “will forever bestow upon us grace, kindness, and mercy; relief, salvation and success; blessing and deliverance; consolation, livelihood and sustenance; compassion, life, peace, and all goodness.”
When Rav Yaakov Shapiro of Bnei Brak became seriously ill, he and his wife resolved that when he recuperated, they would dedicate themselves to the mitzvah of bikur cholim. Although Rav Yaakov did not merit to recover, his wife Rivka remained true to their commitment.
One day, Rivka was shocked to find a letter from a lawyer in her mail. A woman, Nadrina, claimed that Rivka owed her 30,000 shekel in backpay. A court date had been set, but Rivka had no money for lawyers. Moreover, Rivka asserted that no such woman had ever worked for her. Although her children wanted to accompany her to court, she declined their offers, but she finally agreed to allow her friend Bracha to be there with her.
The day before the scheduled court case, Bikur Cholim called to ask if Rivka could stay with a little girl whose family members were not available to stay the night in the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center.
The hospital was not far from the courthouse, so Rivka spent the entire night in the Medical Center attending to the little girl. When the little girl’s grandmother came to take her place, she urged Rivka to allow her son, Yitzchak, to take her back home to Bnei Brak.
“It’s not necessary,” said Rivka, “I have to go to the court right now and it will only take about ten minutes to get there.” Rivka began to explain the odd predicament in which she found herself. At that point, Yitzchak interjected that he would take her to the courthouse and help her straighten out the matter.
They met Bracha in the lobby and as they rode up to the courtroom, Yitzchak took the lead. He said he would go into the courtroom by himself, and only after about seven minutes had elapsed should Bracha come in. “You, Mrs. Shapiro,” he said, “should only come in when I come out to get you.”
Court started promptly. The judge asked if the plaintiff was present and Nadrina, standing next to her lawyer, raised her hand.
“Where is the defendant, Rivka Shapiro?” asked the judge.
Yitzchak said, “She was delayed a moment, but she is coming in right now.”
Bracha entered, on cue, as she had been instructed by Yitzchak.
“Do you recognize her?” the judge asked the plaintiff.
“Of course,” said Nadrina. “I worked for her for ten years. How would I not recognize her?”
The judge asked Bracha to produce her identification. “It says here Bracha Levy,” said the judge, and he began to laugh.
Yitzchak then went to the back of the courtroom and opened the door for Rivka, who produced her identification.
“It seems to me that you worked for the lady for ten years, but you don’t even know how this woman looks,” said the judge.
The case was over before it began.
