The Torah in Parashat Ekeb (8:10 ) introduces the Misva of Birkat Ha'mazon – the obligation to recite a series of special Berachot after eating a certain quantity of bread. The Gemara in Masechet Berachot (48b) teaches us the origin of the four blessings that comprise the text of Birkat Ha'mazon. The first Beracha, the Gemara states, was instituted by Moshe Rabbenu, after the manna began falling in the desert. The second Beracha, which focuses on the gift of Eretz Yisrael, was composed by Yehoshua after he led Beneh Yisrael into the land. The third Beracha, which prays for the building of Jerusalem and the Bet Ha'mikdash, was written by King David and his son, King Shlomo. The recitation of these three Berachot, the Gemara establishes, is required on the level of Torah obligation ("Mi'de'Orayta"). There is, however, a fourth Beracha – called "Ha'tob Ve'ha'metib") – which was introduced later by the Rabbis. The Gemara explains that this Beracha was composed following the Roman government's decision to allow the Jews to bury the remains of the inhabitants of Betar. The city of Betar had been a large, bustling metropolis, home to tens of thousands – and perhaps even hundreds of thousands – of Jews, who enjoyed wealth and prosperity. When the Romans quashed the Jews' revolt led by Shimon Bar-Kochba, the city of Betar was the rebels' final stronghold. The Romans finally captured the city, and massacred all its inhabitants. For a number of years thereafter, the Roman authorities refused to allow the bodies to be buried. When they ultimately granted the surviving Jews permission to bury the people of Betar, those who came to perform the burials were astonished to see that the bodies had not decomposed, and were still intact. To commemorate both the opportunity that had been given to bury these remains, and the miracle of their having been preserved, the Rabbis instituted the recitation of the Beracha of "Ha'tob Ve'ha'metib" in Birkat Ha'mazon. The question that needs to be asked is why the Rabbis chose to commemorate the burial of the people of Betar specifically in Birkat Ha'mazon. Why did they not institute the recitation of this Beracha in some other context? What connection is there between the story of Betar and the recitation of Birkat Ha'mazon? The Meshech Hochma (Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, 1843-1926) offers an explanation based on an analysis of the fundamental concept underlying the Misva of Birkat Ha'mazon. Moshe mentions this Misva in Parashat Ekeb amidst his warning to Beneh Yisrael against feelings of arrogance of self-sufficiency. He says that once the people leave their miraculous existence in the wilderness, and enter the Land of Israel, where they will produce their own food and accumulate wealth, they might begin thinking to themselves, "Kohi Ve'osem Yadi Asa Li Et Ha'hayil Ha'zeh" – "My strength and the power of my hand made for me all this wealth" (8:17 ). In this context, Moshe relays the Misva of Birkat Ha'mazon, instructing, "You will eat and be satiated, and you will bless Hashem your G-d." The natural tendency after eating and feeling satiated is to pride oneself, to feel confident and secure in one's abilities. We are therefore commanded after eating and experiencing satiation to turn to Hashem, to attribute all our success and all our blessings to Him, recognizing that everything we have, and everything we are able to accomplish, is because of His grace and kindness. With this in mind, the Meshech Hochma writes, we can understand the connection between Birkat Ha'mazon and the story of Betar. The residents of this city, as mentioned, were affluent. They felt secure and confident. Tragically, however, their sense of security proved to be delusional, and they suffered a bitter, devastating fate. We bring to mind this calamity as we recite Birkat Ha'mazon as part of the effort to offset the natural effects of satiation, to protect ourselves from overconfidence in our abilities and our efforts, so that we always remember our absolute dependence on Hashem for all our needs. The story is told of a Rabbi who was at the Kotel (Western Wall in Jerusalem) and heard someone praying to Hashem that he should have a flat tire. The Rabbi turned to the fellow and asked why he wanted a flat tire. "We are all familiar with the 'wheel of fortune' that is always turning," the man explained. "People who are on the bottom eventually rise to the top, and the people on top eventually fall to the bottom. I am enjoying great success right now – so I'm asking Hashem for a 'flat tire,' that the 'wheel' should stop turning…" Of course, this man is incorrect. The "wheel of fortune" never gets "flat," it never stops turning. We must always remain keenly aware of our vulnerability even in times of great prosperity and security. Many stories are told of people who went to bed wealthy and woke up poor. When we are blessed with success, we must never lose sight of our dependence on Hashem, and continually pray to Him for ongoing blessing.