Not By Bread Alone

Most of us are familiar with the phrase, “Man does not live by bread alone.” But we may not be aware the context of this verse in the Torah.

The continuation of the verse is, “But he does live by the mouth of G-d.” The message is that man cannot exist by physical food alone, but man’s existence also needs the emanation of Divine power.

The “mouth of G-d” implies that we are even able to elevate the act of eating, simply by making a blessing. The food itself changes its composition from something profane to something holy.

There is an additional message here that a person must realize that his life has no meaning if it doesn’t contain some spirituality. Just as the body requires nourishment, the same is true of the soul.

The source of one’s true sense of contentment and peace of mind, comes much more from spiritual endeavors, rather than the physical. This is the meaning of “man does not live by bread alone.”