Eating: Transforming the Material Into the Spiritual

“Eating has profound effects, both physically and spiritually…. When, for example, food’s source is acknowledged with a blessing before and after eating, the food is elevated to another realm.

…Jewish law [is] designed to… allow one to take something material such as an apple and transform it into a sacred, spiritual act, because man’s avoidance of certain foods is a constant reminder of the limits set by the Creator. The ordinariness of eating is thus elevated to a higher level.”