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Providing what is lacking

(ב) וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּה֙ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֔ים נִצָּבִ֖ים עָלָ֑יו וַיַּ֗רְא וַיָּ֤רָץ לִקְרָאתָם֙ מִפֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֔הֶל (...)׃

Avraham: (2) Looking up, he saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them (...)

(ה) וְאֶקְחָ֨ה פַת־לֶ֜חֶם וְסַעֲד֤וּ לִבְּכֶם֙ (...)׃

(5) And let me fetch a morsel of bread that you may refresh yourselves (...)”

ואקחה פת לחם וגו', ואל הבקר רץ אברהם (בראשית יח, ה-ז). אברהם אמר מעט ועשה הרבה:

ואקחה פת לחם … ואל הבקר רץ אברהם . Abraham said little but did a lot.

(כז) וַיִּגַּשׁ֙ וַיִּשַּׁק־ל֔וֹ וַיָּ֛רַח אֶת־רֵ֥יחַ בְּגָדָ֖יו וַֽיְבָרֲכֵ֑הוּ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר רְאֵה֙ רֵ֣יחַ בְּנִ֔י כְּרֵ֣יחַ שָׂדֶ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בֵּרֲכ֖וֹ ה׳׃

Yitzhak/ Yaakov: (27) and he went up and kissed him. And he smelled his clothes and he blessed him, saying, “Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of the fields that the LORD has blessed.

וירח וגו'. וַהֲלֹא אֵין רֵיחַ רַע יוֹתֵר מִשֶּׁטֶף הָעִזִּים? אֶלָּא מְלַמֵּד שֶׁנִּכְנְסָה עִמּוֹ רֵיחַ גַּן עֵדֶן;

’וירח וגו AND HE SMELLED etc.— Surely there is no more offensive smell than that of washed goat-skins! But Scripture implicitly tells us that the perfume of the Garden of Eden entered the room with him (Genesis Rabbah 65:22).

וְאָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אֵין צְדָקָה מִשְׁתַּלֶּמֶת אֶלָּא לְפִי חֶסֶד שֶׁבָּהּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר זִרְעוּ לָכֶם לִצְדָקָה וְקִצְרוּ לְפִי חֶסֶד

And Rabbi Elazar said: The reward for charity is paid from Heaven only in accordance with the kindness and generosity included therein and in accordance with the effort and the consideration that went into the giving. It is not merely in accordance with the sum of money, as it is stated: “Sow to yourselves according to charity, and reap according to kindness.”

כריח שדה אשר ברכו ה׳. שֶׁנָּתַן בּוֹ רֵיחַ טוֹב וְזֶהוּ שְׂדֵה תַּפּוּחִים, כָּךְ דָּרְשׁוּ רַזִ"לִ:

כריח שדה אשר ברכו AS THE ODOUR OF A FIELD WHICH THE ETERNAL HATH BLESSED — to which God has given a pleasant perfume: it refers to a field of apple-trees. So have our Rabbis, of blessed memory, explained it (Taanit 29b).

“If it is appropriate to give him bread, we give him bread, and this is ‘sufficient for his needs.‘ And if it is appropriate to give him dough, we do not give him bread, but rather dough, and this is ‘whatever he lacks.‘ And if it is not acceptable to him to give him bread or dough, but he asks for money, because it is his desire to buy food that he prefers, we give him money (...)” (Bayit Chadash on the Tur, Yoreh De’ah 250).


אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: הַאי מַאן דְּנָפֵיק בְּיוֹמֵי נִיסָן וְחָזֵי אִילָנֵי דְּקָא מְלַבְלְבִי, אוֹמֵר: ״בָּרוּךְ שֶׁלֹּא חִיסֵּר בְּעוֹלָמוֹ כְּלוּם וּבָרָא בּוֹ בְּרִיּוֹת טוֹבוֹת וְאִילָנוֹת טוֹבוֹת לְהִתְנָאוֹת בָּהֶן בְּנֵי אָדָם״. אָמַר רַב זוּטְרָא בַּר טוֹבִיָּה אָמַר רַב: מִנַּיִן שֶׁמְּבָרְכִין עַל הָרֵיחַ? — שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״כֹּל הַנְּשָׁמָה תְּהַלֵּל יָהּ״. אֵיזֶהוּ דָּבָר שֶׁהַנְּשָׁמָה נֶהֱנֵית מִמֶּנּוּ וְאֵין הַגּוּף נֶהֱנֶה מִמֶּנּוּ? — הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר: זֶה הָרֵיחַ.

On a related topic, the Gemara cites that Rav Yehuda said: One who goes out during Nisan and sees trees that are blossoming recites: Blessed…who has withheld nothing from His world, and has created in it beautiful creatures and trees for human beings to enjoy. Rav Zutra bar Toviya said that Rav said: From where is it derived that one recites a blessing over scent? As it is stated: “Let every soul praise the Lord” (Psalms 150:6). He explains the verse: What is it from which the soul derives benefit and the body does not derive benefit from it? You must say: That is scent. Even over items from which only the soul derives benefit, one must recite a blessing and praise God.

One who goes outside during Nisan and sees fruit trees blossoming recites Birkat Ha-ilanot, to express gratitude to G'd. Even though this berakha is connected to the month of Nisan, the poskim explain that this is not a time-bound obligation because according to most it is permissible to recite this berakha upon seeing blossoms even in a different month. The berakha is dependent on the appearance of blossoms, not on a particular time. Therefore, it is proper for women to recite this berakha as well. (Peninei Halacha, Chapter 23, Birkat-Ha-Ilanot, The Blessing On The Fruit Trees)

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּהה' אֱלֹקינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁלֹּא חִסֵּר בְּעוֹלָמוֹ כְּלוּם וּבָרָא בּוֹ בְּרִיּוֹת טוֹבוֹת לְהִתְנָאוֹת בָּהֶן בְּנֵי אָדָם׃

Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha'olam shelo ḥisar b'olamo k’lum u'vara bo briyot tovot v’ilanot tovim l’hitna’ot bahem b’nei adam

"Blessed are You, G'd, Our Lord,King of the Universe,that His world is not lacking anything,and He created in itgood creations and good treesfor the pleasure of mankind."