Rabbi Yossi's Blog

What does G-d eat for lunch?

Before you indignantly hit reply and berate me for such an obviously sacrilegious question, consider first that the Torah itself refers to G-d’s “bread.” What does it mean when the Torah refers to the sacrifices offered in the Temple as “G-d’s Bread”? Obviously G-d doesn’t eat!

Or does He?

And if the sacrifices in the Temple are G-d’s food, what has He done for the past almost 1900+ years since the Temple was destroyed? Has He gone hungry?

Here’s the deal with sacrifices - they were about elevating all of reality. They were about highlighting how everything that we interact with in this world is part of a greater purpose. That’s why all parts of creation were involved in the process: man, animal, plant and mineral.

There was man; the individual who was offering the sacrifice and the Cohen who ministered. Then you had the item of the sacrifice - either an animal or grain; two more parts of creation. And finally, every sacrifice had to include salt, a mineral.

When we use the physical world around us for holy purposes, we are accomplishing the same thing as sacrifices once did. We are providing G-d with His metaphorical “lunch.” Just as food that we consume becomes part of our body, so too the world and all that’s in it is revealed to be one with G-d.

The amazing thing about this is that, unlike during Temple times, we can achieve this goal anywhere and anytime. We can transform our own little corner of the world into a sanctuary for G-d.

 As a society we’ve become obsessed with results, we measure achievement by goals attained. The process of getting there is not deemed important.

This attitude often has detrimental results. Someone who falls short of their goals feels like a failure. Some people are so compelled to reach their goals that they fall into unethical and even illegal behavior in order to achieve them.

In Judaism results are important, of course, but they’re not the only determination of success.

We see this idea in this week’s Torah portion (among the many other places that this idea is taught). Moshe is completing the construction of the Tabernacle but there is a problem: he can’t lift the walls - they’re way too heavy for one person to erect.

Moshe turns to G-d saying, you want me to build this structure, yet I can’t raise the walls. G-d replies to him, you do your part and I will do my part. You make the best effort that you can and I will support you and make you succeed.

In fact, the very notion that this physical structure can become a “home” for G-d is beyond the human capacity to attain - we can design and build a beautiful structure but we can’t control if G-d will “dwell” within it.

And that’s exactly the point; it’s not only about the goal, it’s also - and perhaps primarily - about the process. And when we do our part, when we make our best effort, G-d helps us fill in the missing parts that we cannot accomplish alone.

When it comes to Jewish practice many Jews have a goal oriented mindset, they think solely about the result. And if they can’t see themselves reaching that goal, they determine that it’s not worth making the effort at all.

Just last night I had a conversation with someone who explained to me that they don’t see themselves being able to keep Shabbat properly and therefore they don’t do anything. I encouraged them to simply light Shabbat candles at the appropriate time - even if you don’t manage to keep the entire Shabbat, it’s not a reason to miss candle lighting.