In this week’s portion, Moses continues his speech to the
Israelites and emphasizes their potential rewards and
punishments for following the commandments. Moses shares that
the Promised Land is one that is flowing with milk and honey
(from dates – not bees – a common misconception!), and that
“when you have eaten your fill, give thanks to the Divine…”
[Deuteronomy 8:10] Our Christian brethren often do a much better
job than we do of expressing gratitude around mealtime by saying
grace (which is usually done with a bit more reverence than
Ricky Bobby’s “Dear Lord Baby Jesus” offering in Talladega
Nights). While we have a quick prayer we are meant to say before
our meal (if eating bread, we would say the “hamotzi” which is a
single line), our major proscribed blessing is made after the
meal (“birkat hamazon” – the Grace After Meals), in accordance
with the chronology in the verse. Eat your fill, and then give
thanks. Saying our major prayer after eating, as opposed to
before, poses some interesting challenges.