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).
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