Nosayn Taam Lifgam 1 – Taste Is Related to Speech – Each Day Has Its Own Blessing – No Reason to Despair – Kosher and Non-Kosher Food – The Special Fragrance and Taste of Shabbos Food – Speaker: Rabbi Nasan Maimon.
Hilkhos Nosayn Taam Lifgam 1 is based on Likutey Moharan 19 – תפילה להבקוק.
00:00 – HALAKHA 1. The essence of a food is its taste. The taste corresponds to Loshon HaKodesh which is the spiritual source of the food. HaShem created everything through speech.
01:42 – טעם – taste – is an expression of speech, as Dovid HaMelech indicates in וּבָר֥וּךְ טַעְמֵ֖ךְ וּבְרוּכָ֣ה אָ֑תְּ אֲשֶׁ֨ר כְּלִתִ֜נִי הַיּ֚וֹם הַזֶּה֙ מִבּ֣וֹא בְדָמִ֔ים וְהשֵׁ֥עַ יָדִ֖י לִֽי – “Blessed is your advice, and blessed be you, who have restrained me this day from coming into bloodshed, and from avenging myself with my own hand” (Shmuel 25:33).
04:11 – The principle that if taste has a negative effect on food, then it does not affect the kashrus of the food.
05:16 – The status of a pot that has not been used for cooking for 24 hours.
05:48 – י֣וֹם לְ֖יוֹם יַבִּ֣יעַ אֹ֑מֶר וְלַ֥יְלָה לְּ֜לַ֗יְלָה יְחַוֶּה־דָּֽעַת – “Day to day utters speech, and night to night tells knowledge” (Tehillim 19:3). This is related to the words spoken by Hashem during creation. Each day has its own blessing. The process of creation is embodied in the word אמר – Aleph is ohr – light; Mem is mayim – water;, Reish is ruach – spirit.
09:06 – Spiritual aspects of food spoilage.
12:30 – Days are vessels of time.
14:09 – Q&R about taste of food vs. its nutritional value. In the context of this teaching, nutritional value is an aspect of taste.
15:00 – Trusting in HaShem from day to day. Reference to Likutey Moharan 60 – פסח רבי שמעון ואמר עת לעשות לה – “A time to take action for HaShem; they have made void Your Torah” (Tehillim 119:126). Trust in HaShem ripens the blessing received from Him.
17:15 – טַח בָּ֖הּ לֵ֣ב בַּעְלָ֑הּ וְ֜שָׁלָ֗ל לֹ֣א יֶחְסָֽר – “Her husband’s heart relies on her, and he will lack no gain” (Mishlei 31:11). The way a person expresses bitachon – trust – is by not worrying. Prayer is an expression of trust.
19:00 – The principle of not cooking today for tomorrow. Another word for kelayios – kidneys – is betuchos.
20:30 – Absolute trust in HaShem was required during Am Yisrael’s 40 years in the wilderness. …וַיָּ֥רֻם תּֽוֹלָעִ֖ים וַיִּבְאַ֑שׁ וַיִּקְצֹ֥ף עֲלֵהֶ֖ם משֶֽׁה – “…and it bred worms and became putrid, and Moses became angry with them” (Shemos 16:20).
22:00 – Q&R about preparing for Shabbos on Erev Shabbos.
23:00 – Q&R about refrigerators and freezers. Technology has made it more difficult to trust in HaShem. However we can strengthen out trust every day when we say, in Krias Shema al HaMitah, בְּיָֽדְךָ֘ אַפְקִ֪יד ר֫וּחִ֥י פָּדִ֖יתָה אוֹתִ֥י יְ֜הֹוָ֗ה אֵ֣ל אֱמֶֽת – “Into Your hand I entrust my spirit; You have redeemed me, Hashem, Master of Truth” (Tehillim 31:6).
25:16 – HALAKHA 2. Reference to Likutey Moharan 68: און שום יאוש בעולם – “There’s never reason to despair”.
28:00 – Reference to Likutey Moharan 7 – the tzaddik has the ability to give Torah and encouragement to people who are on different spiritual levels.
29:48 – הֲיֵֽאָכֵ֣ל תָּ֖פֵל מִבְּלִי־מֶ֑לַח אִם־יֶשׁ־טַ֜עַ֗ם בְּרִ֣יר חַלָּמֽוּת – “Can bland food be eaten without salt, or is there a taste in the saliva of strong-tasting food?” (Iyov 6:6).
31:22 – טַֽעֲמ֣וּ וּ֖רְאוּ כִּי־ט֣וֹב יְהֹוָ֑ה אַשְׁרֵ֥י הַ֜גֶּ֗בֶר יֶחֱסֶה־בּֽוֹ – “Taste and see that HaShem is good; praiseworthy is the man who takes shelter in Him” (Tehillim 34:9).
*33:16 – The mohn – manna – contained many tastes because it came directly from a high spiritual level. Reference to Likutey Moharan 56. This is also true with respect to the fragrance and taste of food prepared for Shabbos since it’s also drawing from a very high level of holiness. Challah placed on the table for Shabbos should have a covering over and under it to commemorate the mohn.
37:00 – בִּלַּ֚ע הַמָּ֙וֶת֙ לָנֶ֔צַח וּמָחָ֨ה אֲדֹנָ֧י יֱהֹוִ֛ה דִּמְעָ֖ה מֵעַ֣ל כָּל־פָּנִ֑ים – “He has concealed death forever, and the Lord God shall wipe the tears from every face…” (Yeshayahu 25:8). The holy sparks trapped in non-kosher food will be released at the end of time. Am Yisrael does not have the ability today to refine them, therefore eating non-kosher food is prohibited.
39:49 – Heichlei HaTemuros – Chambers of Exchanges.
41:39 – רְעֵבִים גַּם־צְמֵאִ֑ים נַ֜פְשָׁ֗ם בָּהֶ֥ם תִּתְעַטָּֽף – “Hungry as well as thirsty, their soul wraps itself in them” (Tehillim 107:5).
44:00 – NOTE: The reason Am Yisrael is dispersed among the nations is to bring back geyrim – converts to Judaism (gemara). Reference to Likutey Moharan 17.
46:32 – Q&R about the spoilage of non-kosher food.
47:00 – All food, kosher and non-kosher, is elevated through אמת – truth. Reference to Parshas Pinchas.
50:00 – NOTE about preservatives made from a by-product of grapes.
51:17 – HaShem’s curse to the nachash – serpent: וְעָפָ֥ר תֹּאכַ֖ל כָּל־יְמֵ֥י חַיֶּֽיךָ – “…and you shall eat dust all the days of your life (Bereishis 3:14).
54:31 – “Wake up and sing, you who are resting in the dust.” Reference to Sotah 5.
56:00 – Closing blessings.
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