M
MNathaniel
Guest
Utterly silly question!
Earlier today, I prayed the standard blessing over my meal. Then I ate most of it.
A few hours later, I took the leftovers out of the fridge and continued eating. While chewing, I suddenly realized I hadn’t prayed before I began eating (which is usually my habit). But then I also realized – wait, maybe that’s redundant? Because I already prayed over this specific food? So I compromised by saying the prayer in my head, not out loud, then resumed chewing.
Now, I know this isn’t a matter of sin or anything, and I don’t mean to be scrupulous – but I’ve suddenly realized I’m curious about the specific application of meal blessings! So, good people of the CA Forums:
Does anyone know whether our meal blessing is blessing the food itself, or just blessing ourselves in the act of eating it during that meal?
Because if the former, that might suggest it doesn’t benefit anything to bless the food again when we eat it at a different meal as leftovers (or that we get a double blessing from food blessed twice, haha)… But if the latter, it’d be reasonable to pray before each separate time-of-eating, even if just resuming eating food over which a blessing has already been said?
Obviously it’s always good to remember to be thankful before a meal. I’m not questioning that. At the same time, I’m wondering whether the meal blessing is actually believed to do anything beyond ‘remind us to be thankful’, and what the significance of that is, re: leftovers.
I know this question is totally ridiculous. So please don’t take it too seriously. But honestly, I’m curious whether anyone has an actual ‘answer’ on this, that’s rooted in anything other than random musings!
Earlier today, I prayed the standard blessing over my meal. Then I ate most of it.
A few hours later, I took the leftovers out of the fridge and continued eating. While chewing, I suddenly realized I hadn’t prayed before I began eating (which is usually my habit). But then I also realized – wait, maybe that’s redundant? Because I already prayed over this specific food? So I compromised by saying the prayer in my head, not out loud, then resumed chewing.
Now, I know this isn’t a matter of sin or anything, and I don’t mean to be scrupulous – but I’ve suddenly realized I’m curious about the specific application of meal blessings! So, good people of the CA Forums:
Does anyone know whether our meal blessing is blessing the food itself, or just blessing ourselves in the act of eating it during that meal?
Because if the former, that might suggest it doesn’t benefit anything to bless the food again when we eat it at a different meal as leftovers (or that we get a double blessing from food blessed twice, haha)… But if the latter, it’d be reasonable to pray before each separate time-of-eating, even if just resuming eating food over which a blessing has already been said?
Obviously it’s always good to remember to be thankful before a meal. I’m not questioning that. At the same time, I’m wondering whether the meal blessing is actually believed to do anything beyond ‘remind us to be thankful’, and what the significance of that is, re: leftovers.
I know this question is totally ridiculous. So please don’t take it too seriously. But honestly, I’m curious whether anyone has an actual ‘answer’ on this, that’s rooted in anything other than random musings!