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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>From: Micha Berger <A href="mailto:micha@aishdas.org">micha@aishdas.org</A><BR></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>>> R' Yaakov Moshe haKohein Lessin, the Slabodka alumnus who was
mashgiach at<BR>YU (short bio
<http://www.yu.edu/riets/index.aspx?id=28202>), famously<BR>never finished
a dessert. As an exercise in self-discipline, there was<BR>always a bit of cake
(or whatever) left on his plate. <<<BR><BR></DIV></FONT></FONT>
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<DIV>>>>>>>></DIV>
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<DIV>This is a common minhag -- to always leave a little something on the plate,
never eat the last crumb. Is it a chassidishe minhag? I don't
know. I grew up with it. It's based on a pasuk somewhere
that I can't quite retrieve from my memory box -- something about thanking
Hashem because you have enough food to be satisfied and even have food left
over. It is considered unrefined to eat every last crumb on your
plate. It suggests that you would really like more food and are not
satisfied. It is rude to the hostess (if you're a guest) and seems
ungrateful to Hashem.</DIV>
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<DIV>Of course leaving too /much/ on the plate is also rude to the hostess as
well as wasteful....</DIV>
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<DIV>We Jews have remarkable guilt mechanisms in place for every occasion, don't
we?</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"><BR><B>--Toby Katz<BR>==========<BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"></B>--------------------</FONT></DIV></DIV>
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