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In Ashrei (and elsewhere) we thank Gd for providing food for all. What meaning do these words have for those of us who have enough food and for those of us who do not have enough food?

Yehuda W
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I have heard (where?) that the verse in Ashrei should be understood to mean spiritual, not physical, nourishment, as the prophet Amos said:

הִנֵּ֣ה ׀ יָמִ֣ים בָּאִ֗ים נְאֻם֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה וְהִשְׁלַחְתִּ֥י רָעָ֖ב בָּאָ֑רֶץ לֹֽא־רָעָ֤ב לַלֶּ֙חֶם֙ וְלֹֽא־צָמָ֣א לַמַּ֔יִם כִּ֣י אִם־לִשְׁמֹ֔עַ אֵ֖ת דִּבְרֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃

I, God, will bring a famine, not for food or water, but for the word of God. [Amos 8:11]

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Maurice Mizrahi
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    There are similar statements of thanks for food and for the lack of hunger in the birchat hamazon. It seems those must refer to actual food. – Yehuda W Mar 17 '20 at 15:59
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G-d has provided the world with more than enough food to feed the world’s population. What leads to widespread hunger and poverty, is man’s uneven distribution of G-d’s bounty, and human selfishness which prevents that problem from being solved.

IsraelReader
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