When Yitzchak wanted to bless his son, he said to him, “Make for me savory food, such as that which I love, bring it to me and I will eat it; in order that my soul will bless you…” (Genesis 27:4). It must be noted that Yitzchak did not say, “…in order that I will bless you,” but “…in order that my soul will bless you.” It must be understood why he wanted the blessing to come specifically from his soul?
In addition, what is the connection between blessing and eating savory food? Why was it necessary for Yitzchak to eat in order to bless his son from his soul?
To answer these questions clearly and in depth it is first necessary to explain the blessing “asher yatzar” where it is said, “…Blessed are you G-d, the healer of all flesh, who does wondrous things.” Chazal have said that the most wondrous thing in all the creation, for which we thank G-d with the praise “who does wondrous things,” is the joining together of the body and soul. It is certainly wondrous that two opposite things like the body and soul can come together. It is even more wondrous that they join together into one, to form something new: a human being!
In the Talmud the story is told of one of the rabbis who taught a thing one day, and on the next day changed his teaching to its opposite. He explained to his disciple that on the previous day he erred because he had been fasting and had not eaten meat that day.
It is a natural phenomenon that if the body does not receive its nourishment, then the soul can also not fulfill its function. When the body is weakened, then a person cannot deal with life and the power of his soul also declines. Our physical bodies can hardly contain the power of our souls. For a person whose inner power is enormous, then the demands on his physical body are much greater.
The converse is also true. It is now common knowledge that there are many diseases whose source is in the mental and spiritual dimension — in a person’s soul. When these “psychological” problems are solved, then these physical diseases quickly dissipate. There is a wondrous interactive relationship between the body and the soul.
One of the commandments of the Torah is to guard our health. It is learned from the verse: “Guard your souls very much…” (Duet. 4:15). It is not written to guard our bodies, but to guard our souls. This is because our entire existence on earth is for the sake of the soul. The body is only the means by which we can take care of the soul. The health of the body must be protected because it is the vessel for the soul in this world.
Everyone is accustomed to say, “the main thing is health.” However, it seems foolish for people to give away all their property for physical health while they neglect the health of their souls, which is the main reason that they came into this world in the first place. It would seem that if the soul had a mouth, it would scream about its neglect and diminution as if it were being trampled on the ground. Therefore, the commandment to guard our health actually prescribes, “Guard your souls very much….”
Yitzchak knew about this wondrous connection between the body and the soul. When he was old and close to the completion of his life he wanted to transmit his physical and spiritual heritage to his son. He knew the necessity of recruiting the strength of his entire physical body in order that the blessing should be complete.
Therefore, he said, “in order that my soul will bless you,” which was the main part; and he had to enlist his body into the act of blessing as well by eating savory food beforehand.
