It is customary to study Pirkei Avot during the six weeks between Passover and Shavuot. One chapter is studied each Shabbat after the afternoon Minchah prayer.
Chapter 3, paragraph 2 and 3:
2....Rabbi Chanina son of Tradyon would say: Two who sit and no words of Torah pass between them, this is a session of scorners, as is stated, "And in a session of scorners he did not sit" (Psalms 1:1). But two who sit and exchange words of Torah, the Divine Presence rests amongst them, as is stated, "Then the G‑d-fearing conversed with one another, and G‑d listened and heard; and it was inscribed before Him in a book of remembrance for those who fear G‑d and give thought to His name" (Malachi 3:16). From this, I know only concerning two individuals; how do I know that even a single individual who sits and occupies himself with the Torah, G‑d designates reward for him? From the verse, "He sits alone in meditative stillness; indeed, he receives [reward] for it" (Lamentations 3:28).
3. Rabbi Shimon would say: Three who eat at one table and do not speak words of Torah, it is as if they have eaten of idolatrous sacrifices; as is stated, "Indeed, all tables are filled with vomit and filth, devoid of the Omnipresent" (Isaiah 28:8). But three who eat at one table and speak words of Torah, it is as if they have eaten at G‑d's table, as is stated, "And he said to me: This is the table that is before G‑d" (Ezekiel 41:22).
(Chabad translation).
Sitting and Eating
The second mishnah of Avot’s third perek quotes Rebbe Chanina ben Teradyon’s statement about the importance of sharing Torah with those we sit with. The very next mishnah quotes Rebbe Shimon, who emphasizes the need to share Torah with those we eat with. What is the relationship between these two statements? Does sharing Torah at a meal have additional significance?
What We Are Sustaining
The Chasid Yavetz explains that sharing Torah at meals is uniquely important because it defines and expresses how we view our lives. Man, like an animal, needs to eat to sustain his life. That said, our existence means more than that of animals. We need to express this distinction when we eat, like animals, to sustain our lives; we do so by sharing Torah with those we eat with.
The Netziv sees the source of the difference between human and animal life in how Bereishit describes their creation. In contrast to animals, which Bereishit defines as “alive” as soon as they were created, Adam is depicted as “alive” only after Hashem added his soul. Because man’s life is meant to include spirituality, Bereishit describes him as alive only once Hashem added his soul.
In his commentary on Sefer Devarim, the Netziv uses this idea to explain why the Torah links our lives to mitzvah observance. A person is only described as "living" when he realizes his ultimate purpose. The more a person fulfills mitzvot, the more alive he is.
Onkelos makes this point in a subtle yet powerful way. The Torah states that man does not live by bread alone, but rather through G-d’s word. Whereas the Torah uses the same word (“yichyeh”) to describe man’s survival from both food and the word of G-d, Onkelos employs a different term to translate the latter — “chayei” as opposed to “mitkayem.” Although we can survive on bread, we only truly live when we include G-d in our lives.
This also explains Rebbe Akiva’s famous comparison of a Jew’s need for Torah to a fish’s dependency upon water. A person can survive physically without Torah, but he dies spiritually. This is why resha’im, even when alive, are considered dead: their lives are no deeper than their physical existence.
Food For Thought
Lacking this perspective can allow the pursuit of food and survival to cloud our judgment. When we are tired and hungry, we are anxious to revive and sustain ourselves. This anxiety can cause us to lose sight of our life’s bigger picture and purpose, and eat like animals rather than human beings.
Eisav is an excellent example of this phenomenon. The Torah tells us that Eisav denigrated his bechorah (firstborn rights), to which he was naturally entitled, by trading them for a bowl of lentils. Why did he make the trade? The Torah explains that he returned home tired and hungry. In that state, he “reasoned” that, as he would die in any case, he had no need for the bechorah. His hunger caused Eisav to ignore the value of anything beyond sustaining his physical existence.
In contrast to Eisav, we know that our lives matter because we use them to pursue valuable goals. We emulate our ancestor, Yaakov, who worked to acquire the bechor rights for himself and his descendants. The Kuzari uses this idea to explain the purpose of the berachot we recite before and after eating. The berachot express our appreciation of the special significance of sustaining our lives, as opposed to those of animals. Both man and animal eat to maintain life, but our lives hold greater meaning. We express and reinforce this distinction by thanking Hashem for our food.
In our mishnah, Rebbe Shimon teaches us that we should express this appreciation not only by thanking Hashem for our food but also by placing the most meaningful aspect of our lives — Torah learning — on the table. By sharing Torah at meals, we express our belief that the lives we sustain matter because of the Torah we learn and the mitzvot we fulfill.
We Are Why We Eat
Rebbe Shimon adds that those who do not share Torah at meals are considered as eating from “zivchei meisim.” The Chasid Yavetz explains this term as referring to the consumer's status, since the food is, of course, dead. Because one who does not include Torah as part of his meal is not alive, he eats a meal that belongs to the dead. Though the food he eats sustains his physical life, his lack of emphasis on his life’s meaning causes us to regard him as dead.
Elevating Our Meals
Rebbe Shimon adds that, in contrast, one who does share Torah at a meal is viewed as eating from G-d’s table. A Torah context elevates a meal to the point where we are considered as eating from Hashem’s table.
Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik expressed a similar idea: “Transforming an animal need into an act of worship is a uniquely Jewish idea. The table is referred to in our tradition as an altar, and meals which are associated with religious observances are called se’udot mitzvah.”
Rav Soloveichik spoke of a seudat mitzvah — a meal associated with mitzvah. Rebbe Shimon teaches us that even regular meals, eaten as part of our daily lives, can be elevated by sharing Torah at them.
We live in a world that regards food, along with sexuality, as ends in themselves rather than as means of survival. This reflects and reinforces a lack of appreciation for life’s deeper meaning and purpose.
Let’s make sure to share Torah over meals to define our lives properly. May this commitment to our spiritual journey give us access to Hashem’s table!
Rav Reuven Taragin is the Dean of Overseas Students at Yeshivat Hakotel and the Educational Director of World Mizrachi and the RZA.
His new book, Essentials of Judaism, is available for purchase at rabbireuventaragin.com.