The Zohar HaKadosh teaches that nitzotzos ha’kedushah, holy sparks, which contain the Divine Light, are imbedded all over the physical world within klipos, shells, of impurity. When one makes a brachah prior to food consumption, he releases these holy sparks which ultimately attach to him. If he does not make a blessing, or if the food lacks appropriate spiritual standards, the holiness disappears and the impurity of the klipos attach to the soul of the person who consumes this food. This ultimately causes him to wane in his service to Hashem, until he eventually completely turns his back on Hashem. Horav Yehonasan Eibeshutz, zl, contends that this might be the reason we observe people gravitating toward sinful behavior following a meal. Since they had not been careful in guarding the sanctity of the meal, the impurity of the food attaches to them. It is almost as if one who is about to drive to a place of sin stops to “fill up” with gas.
