"Food for Thought"

EIKEV Food For Thought Eating evokes a myriad of emotions: pleasure, desire, loss of control, and disappointment. We yearn for our meals, fantasize of those all-you-can-eat buffets, spend big money, drive long distances for delicate cuisine; yet, despite all our love for food, feelings of regret and self-reproach often follow: Why did I eat so much? and Where does this insatiable craving for food come from? And the lingering question remains: Why the disappointment after eating? This inquiry becomes even more perplexing when it concerns the Jewish people. Among all religions, we are unique in celebrating with food. Every holiday centers around delicious meals. While other faiths observe days upon days of fasting to suppress the desire for food, in Judaism, holiness is intertwined with food. The holidays involve festive meals, each with its specific foods, and before every cup of water, we recite blessings, expressing gratitude to G-d for the wondrous creation of sustenance. However, how does this complex experience align with being a commandment?