Continuing from last week’s theme of שבת, at the end of this week’s פרשה, the תורה discusses the הלכות of the לחם הפנים. In פרק כ"ד פסוק ח' it writes “ביום השבת...בני ישראל ברית עולם” The נציב in the העמק דבר writes that the תורה compares the לחם הפנים to שבת, which is also called a ברית עולם, an eternal covenant. On שבת we are forbidden from doing work and we are told to enjoy our food without stressing out about where our livelihood will come from, because the שבת brings with it, its own supply of ברכה for the coming week. So too, the לחם הפנים shows that ה' supplies His servants with everything and anything that they need.

While for most of us, ה' supplies us with everything that we need, and we are able to live with proper nourishment and in good health, sometimes even with all of it there are those who are not so lucky. Today I was informed of a child of a close friend of my sister’s who has all that he needs, yet he will not eat it. For some reason, a sensory problem in the baby’s mouth prevents the child from accepting a bite of food, which is resulting in serious malnourishment for him. As a תיקון for a רפואה שלימה for this child’s eating disorder, the parents have asked that everyone take the lesson of the לחם הפנים to heart, and show their appreciation for having all the food that they need by having extra כוונה for a few seconds more while making ברכות on food. If you can take three seconds more while making a ברכה on anything you eat and having in mind a רפואה שלימה for יעקב נתן בן גולדה פערל, it would be greatly appreciated.

In the זכות of this display of הכרת הטוב to ה' and everything He does for us every day, may we be זוכה to see the גאולה שלימה במהירה בימינו אמן!

Have a wonderful שבת קודש!

מרדכי שמחה טיפנברון