Yud Tes Kislev - minhag to eat kasha - why?

ewa-jo

Wed, Dec 14 2011, 9:47 am

Among those participating in the Yud-Tes farbrengen of 5653 (1892) with the Rebbe Rashab, was a Chassid who had particularly enjoyed one of the thoughts the Rebbe had expressed about chibuv mitzvos (love of mitzvos).

On Yud-Tes Kislev it is customary to eat kasha. (In Lubavitch they called it "black kasha" and they explained that it was to remember the food the Alter Rebbe ate in prison. The Rebbe Rayatz related in the name of the Chassidim who brought the Alter Rebbe a bucket of water and bread, that this is what he ate. On Shabbos they brought him beer or mead.) Every country has its favorite food, and in Lithuania it was kasha.

When the Jew heard about a love of mitzvos with taanug (pleasure), he ate the kasha with gusto. When the Rebbe noticed that the enjoyment of what he had said had been transferred to the food, which was eaten with pleasure and not the way a Chassid is supposed to eat, he said, "You forgot you are eating kasha."

He explained that the brain of that individual had enjoyed the explanation of chibuv mitzvos, and this led to a natural pleasure in eating kasha. But the person eating did not sense it since he was occupied with what he had heard. That’s why the Rebbe reminded him to remember he was eating kasha.
(Seifer HaSichos 5698, p. 250-1)

http://www.beismoshiach.org/Ho.....3.htm