[Avodah] Eating and Sustenance

[kennethgmiller at juno.com]

In the thread "Chillul HaShem when NJ are the observers", R' Zev Sero wrote:

> The Malbim asks how the angels could eat Avraham's food. It's
> easy to understand how they could *pretend* to eat, but the
> Torah says that they actually ate, and to eat ("le'echol")
> means to derive sustenance.

I'm curious exactly how the Malbim phrases this, and exactly which word he used for "to derive sustenance". My guess is that "sustenance" corresponds to some form of the word "mazon".

Many poskim hold that the bracha of mezonos is effective for any food except water and salt, and that the reason is because they provide sustenance. In the words of the Beur Halacha 167:10:B'makom, "mayzin zayan" - "they do sustain".

For nidon didan, I think the exception of salt is notable, because I think we'd all agree that the word "le'echol" DOES describe what we can do with salt, and we do so even though it does not provide sustenance --- exactly like the food which the angels ate without receiving sustenance.

Akiva Miller

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