HESED: GRACE FOR THE FIRST SHABBAT MEAL
Wishing all friends a great FIRST SHABBAT MEAL!
GRACE ON THE FIRST SHABBAT MEAL
A MEAL AS A MEANS OF CONNECTION
-by Rav Michael Laitman
A meal is one of the central points of the contact between us. It is an inseparable part of our human culture. Ancient traditions of communal meals distinguishes us from animals.
A meal is an action that is natural for our bodies. Babies are attached to their mothers by an umbilical cord through which they receive sustenance. When adults sit at the table and eat together, it is a sign of mutual trust and connection among them.
Our meals are very specific because we are in that state of connectedness. However, our meals are not Kabbalistic as of yet; rather, they are in between what we would like to achieve and what we are capable of achieving.
During the meals, we don’t “hint” at the internal work of our friends; instead, we fulfill others by asking questions, giving answers, singing songs, saying L’chaims. In other words, we fill others and don’t let them be themselves.
Anybody who attends our common meals should be focused internally and very little on the others. There should be a purely internal communication among us.