The Jews brought genuine spirituality into the world but it is curious that the role of that non-spiritual portion of human life — food and the eating thereof — plays a major role in Judaism. In fact the root word for food or eating — achl — is mentioned some 1 200 times in the 24 Biblical books.

Many examples: The very first words that G-d speaks to Adam concern what he may and may not eat. The serpent is cursed to eat only dust/afar; the focus of the story of Avraham and the visiting angels is food and the way he serves it is; the narratives of Yitzhak Yaakov and Eisav center on a) the food being prepared for the aged Yitzhak and b) Yaakov obtaining the birthright in exchange for a bowl of pottage.

Food marches on: Pharaoh’s dreams of the eating habits of wheat and cows are instrumental in freeing Joseph from the dungeon. It is food that brings Yosef’s brothers toEgypt and soon enough Yosef invites his brothers to a royal feast.

The Israelites have no time to bake bread when they leave Egypt so they eat matzoh. In the desert their food takes the form of manna from heaven. Later Moshe describes his sojourn on Mt.Sinai: “I ate no bread and drank no water ” unlike the “nobles of Israel” who mysteriously “ate and drank” (Shemos 24:11).

In the narratives of King Saul David and Yonasan food is once again crucial: David’s unexplained absence from Saul’s Rosh Chodesh feast; Yonasan unaware of his father’s curse about eating imbibes some honey. Later the mighty Samson’s famous riddle centers on honey.

And the food-laden Purim story: Achashveirosh’s lavish banquet; Esther accuses Haman at another festive banquet.

In addition to all this food — and there is much more — throughout Tanach theHoly Land is described in terms of milk and honey.

In daily religious life as well food dominates: What we may eat (kashrus); where we may eat (Succos); what normally permissible foods become impermissible (Pesach); when we may not eat at all (Yom Kippur); how to slaughter and prepare permissible animals (shechitah); acknowledging G-d before and after food (brachos) . And of course the requirements to eat and not fast on Shabbos or Yom Tov. (No wonder there is an actual Encyclopedia of Jewish Food: 650 entries 350 recipes illustrations and maps. And no wonder the old Jewish joke comes alive: “A ten-word definition of Judaism: They tried to kill us; G-d saved us; let’s eat.”)

Obviously food is more than mere sustenance. It is a medium of memory experience and identity of reaching out to others and to the Other. The thou-shalts and thou-shalt-nots of food are major avenues connecting with G-d. Interaction with food is a major indicator of who we are. Food is capable of turning a man into a beast concerned only with his belly what Ramban (Vayikra 19:2) famously calls naval b’reshus haTorah — a scoundrel technically not violating Torah; or it can transform man into a G-dly creature who knows how to elevate the physical into the spiritual — the essence of Judaism.           

This is of course easier said than done. Occasionally — such as at Pesach time which has become overlaid with an inordinate stress on eating for its own sake — one gets the uneasy feeling that food has overwhelmed us. Orthodox magazines publish multiple-page supplements featuring only Pesach recipes supplements which are — pardon me — gobbled up by the frum public. Orthodox hotels advertise five meals a day and round-the-clock refreshments. Orthodox Jewish publishers admit that year-round cookbooks far outsell serious books.

Has all that food in our historic genes overpowered us? Does our rich heritage begin and end in the kitchen? In restaurants what receives more kavanah: the menu or the bircas hamazon? Has the People of the Book become the people of the cookbook?

Diffficult questions. We need food obviously to sustain life and it is an indispensable tool in the service of G-d. It is meant to be enjoyed and kitchen creativity is always in order — but we need to be careful not to allow the stomach to overpower the mind and heart. G-dliness obviously trumps gastronomy.

Granted it is easy to write articles about overindulgence in food; real life poses real temptations. But the purpose here is not to change eating habits —for that we have dieticians — but only to point out that since eating is the highway that potentially can lead to spirituality it needs to be paved with care. As the Gra at Mishlei 6:26 citing Midrash says: if you want Torah to enter your system be prudent about the food that enters your system.

Food constitutes G-d’s first words to mankind. But we cannot allow food to have the last word.