Advice from Rabbi Nachman of Breslov

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(These are the last two in this section, Eating.  The one on unripened fruit is provacative.  In fact all of them have been.  We all know the saying, "you are what you eat," yet Rabbi Nachman takes that to a whole new level.

Tonight I made my son and grandson Hebrew National Hotdogs.  My son was making fun of me and my kosher stance but in a nice way.  He asked if the cow had a blessing said over it before it was slaughtered.  I said yes as a matter of fact and that all the blood would have been drained and the cow died quickly.  It probably didn't sound like a big deal to him but when we start adding in the transfer of light/energy to us from the animal then the food we eat becomes so sacred.  I want to always remember the sacredness of all foods before I eat.  I fail a lot!  Old habits die hard.  I feel like if I can make this apart of my everday life, it will be an accomplishment)

21) Never eat a fruit before it has become fully ripe on the tree. Unripe fruit can be very harmful. It can damage the very soul. So long as the fruit still needs to grow it has the power to draw to itself the life-force it requires. If somebody eats it before it is ripe it will suck the vitality it requires from him. By making the blessing over fruit with intense concentration and with a sense of true fear of Heaven you can avoid the dangers of unripe fruit . In fact, you should be careful with all the blessings over food, drink, spices and so on, but especially with the blessings over fruit. Many lost objects are actually present in the fruit of the tree. Deep mysteries (such as the transmigration of souls) are involved here. These lost objects need to be refined and elevated. Cooking unripe fruit in order to make it fit for eating will not help if the fruit did not ripen on the tree. However if unripe fruit is left for a time after it is picked until it ripens by itself, it does help and the fruit may be eaten (88).

22) Be careful not to gulp your food down hurriedly like a glutton. It was Esau who said, “Let me swallow some of this red pottage” (Genesis 25: 30). Get into the habit of eating at a moderate pace, calmly and with the same table manners you would show if an important guest were present. You should always eat like this, even when you are eating alone. Happy is the one who achieves this! (Chayey Moharan, Avodat Hashem, 69).