זוהר, ויקהל ל״טZohar, Vayakhel 39

Segment 1א׳

רִבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (רות ג׳:ז׳) וַיֹאכַל בֹּעַז וַיֵּשְׁתְּ וַיִּיטַב לִבּוֹ. מַהוּ וַיִּיטַב לִבּוֹ. דְּבָרִיךְ עַל מְזוֹנֵיהּ, וְאוּקְמוּהָ. וְדָא הוּא רָזָא, דְּמַאן דִּמְבָרֵךְ עַל מְזוֹנֵיהּ, דָּא אוֹטִיב לְלִבֵּיהּ, וּמַאן אוֹטִיב (נ"א איהו) כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, (תהלים כז ח) לְךָ אָמַר לִבִּי. וּכְתִיב (תהילים ע״ג:כ״ו) צוּר לְבָבִי וְגוֹ'.

R. Jose began a discourse on the verse: “And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry”, etc. (Ruth 3, 7). ‘His heart was merry,’ he said, ‘by reason of his having pronounced a benediction over his food; and there is, further, a deeper significance here, to wit, that whoever says a blessing after his meal satisfies his “heart”, that which is by him alluded to in the words: “In thy behalf my heart hath said” (Ps. 27, 8), also in, “but God is the rock of my heart” (Ibid. 73, 26).

Segment 2ב׳

וּבְגִין דְּבִרְכַּת מְזוֹנָא חֲבִיבָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כָּל מַאן דְּבָרִיךְ עַל שַׂבְעָא, אוֹטִיב וְחַדֵּי לַאֲתָר אַחֲרָא, וְסִימָנִךְ סְעוּדָתֵי דְּשַׁבָּת, דְּאֲתָר אַחֲרָא אִתְהֲנִי מֵהַהִיא בְּרָכָה (ר"ד ע"ב) דְּשַׂבְעָא וְחִידוּ. וְהָכָא אִתְהֲנֵי מֵהַהוּא בְּרָכָה דְּשַׂבְעָא דְּהַהוּא צַדִּיק בֹּעַז וְדָא וַיִּיטַב לִבּוֹ.

For, since the blessing offered up for one’s food is precious before the Holy One, blessed be He, whoever pronounces such a blessing after he is satisfied does good and brings joy to “another region”. So here “another region” derived enjoyment from the blessing after the meal that the righteous Boaz pronounced, and thus we read, “and his heart was merry”.

Segment 3ג׳

מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דִּמְזוֹנָא אִיהוּ קָשֶׁה קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הַהוּא אֲתָר, וְכֵיוָן דְּבַר נָשׁ אָכִיל וְשָׁתֵי, וְקָא מְבָרֵךְ. הַהִיא בִּרְכָתָא סַלְּקָא, וְאִתְהֲנֵי מֵאִינּוּן מִלִּין דְּשַׂבְעָא דְּסַלְקִין, וְאִשְׁתְּכַח דְּאִתְהֲנֵי מִמְּזוֹנָא מִתַּתָּא וּמִלְּעֵילָּא.

Why pronounce a blessing? It is because the sustenance of man is troublesome, so to speak, for the Almighty, but when the words of the benediction pronounced by a man after eating and drinking ascend on high, that place derives an enjoyment from those words, and so benefit is drawn from the food, both below and above.