Question:
I have been trying to follow more practices and was struggling to understand the proper thing to do when it comes to food and was hoping you could help. I don’t eat kosher and saw that it may be forbidden to say a bracha on non kosher foods. Is it best to not say a bracha before and after I eat if the food isn’t kosher or is this ok?
If not, is there anything I can do (perhaps silently in my head) to thank G-d and acknowledge the food I am eating when I am hungry/thirsty?
Answer:
Hello,
It is wonderful that you are growing, and conscientious about brachos and other mitzvos. May Hashem help you to keep on growing and over coming the various hurdles that you are going through. As you read we may not say a bracha before nor after eating something that is not kosher. The reason is that G-d considers it distasteful to be thanked while the person is essentially sinning. Therefore, if you are still not up to eating kosher, you should wait with making brachos until you can eat kosher food.
There are a lot of other things that you can thank G-d for. In the morning there are 16 blessings that we say, to thank G-d for waking us up in the morning, for creating us Jews, for giving us eyesight, and numerous other things. You can say these brachos, and thank Hashem for those things. Additionally, it is important for you to know that there are many things that you eat and drink that are not “non-kosher”. For example, if you take a cup of water, you can and should make a blessing on it before drinking it. Fruits and vegetables such as an apple, cucumber or tomato, you can say a blessing on them. Additionally, there are thousands of products nowadays, which have kosher supervision, you can say a blessing when eating them. All in all there is still plenty of more for you to express your gratitude to G-d while making blessings in their proper place and time.
Again, may G-d help you keep on growing, and we are here to answer any questions that you might have long the way.
Best wishes
