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<DIV><FONT lang=0 color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>From: Lisa Liel <lisa@starways.net><BR>>Since the Challah is
covered it is not an<BR>> embarrassment to the challah that you are making
Borei Pri HaGofen<BR>> first. [--RYL]<BR><BR>Is that even a real thing?
I thought that was a bubbe mayse that people <BR>made up to explain covering the
challah. I thought it was a matter of <BR>avoiding a safek and hiding the
challah so that you can say borei pri <BR>hagafen before hamotzi. Do we
honestly worry about the feelings of a <BR>loaf of
bread?<BR><BR>Lisa<BR><BR></FONT></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>It is called projection. We, as human being, project onto
inanimate objects the emotions we would feel if we were
them. In the case of hagafen and hamotzi, it is not a
safek, there is a definite priority: bread before wine. If you, as
an older person, or as a teacher, were not treated with proper respect, and
someone gave priority to a younger person, or to a student, over you, you would
feel bad. Ascribing emotions to the challa makes us more careful about the
halachos of giving honor to those who should be honored.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>You might also ask why, since it had sheltered him, Moshe couldn't hit the
Nile, Would the Nile really be upset about his lack of hakaras
hatov? IIRC he also could not hit the ground, since it had hidden the
Egyptian he killed. Would the ground really be upset etc?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In addition to the foregoing rational analysis, one might also
speculate that inanimate objects do possess some kind of spirit. I
remember many years ago at the House of Love and Prayer somewhere in Israel,
Shlomo Carlebach once talking to a group in a singsong, with a guitar, saying
that an apple prays, "Please Hashem make me a good apple, make me a tasty apple,
make me a beautiful apple that will give pleasure to a person who eats
me." I am paraphrasing. At that time, I was the only person present
with my eyes open -- literally -- he had told a circle of youngsters to all
close their eyes, and all but one obeyed. So I, with my eyes open, was
somewhat skeptical that the apple really prays.</DIV>
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<DIV>And yet...and yet....I have remembered that apple's prayer all my life, and
sometimes wonder: do the objects that human beings use -- especially the
objects we make brachos over -- at some level really have some kind of spirit,
some kind of feeling, some kind of desire -- a desire to serve Hashem by being
of use to His creatures?</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT lang=0 color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"><BR><STRONG>--Toby Katz<BR>================</STRONG></FONT><FONT lang=0 color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>_____________________
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