Let's Do Dinner!

Let’s grab a bite. Or break bread. Or do lunch. Or share a meal. Or chow down. Or stuff our faces.

We have lots of ways to talk about eating with another person. That’s because it matters. As I say every time I buy too much food at the grocery store or cook too much for a meal, “Food is love.”

If we didn’t already know that, we’re reminded of it in this week’s Torah portion, Re’eh.

First, we read about the general principles of the dietary laws that came to be known as kashrut – which animals, sea creatures and birds are permitted to be eaten. 

Then we read about gathering tithes and first fruits to bring to Jerusalem. The Torah says, “You are to eat [them] before the presence of YHWH your God (Deuteronomy 14:23).” In other words, we’re supposed to grab a bite with God.

It sounds a bit daunting — having a meal with God. Having lunch with your boss is one thing; lunch with the “Boss of Bosses” is quite another. In the days of the Torah, our ancestors shared meals with God through sacrifices and offerings. But Jews have not offered sacrifices for nearly 2,000 years.  Does that mean we can share a meal with God anymore?

Instead, today we break bread with God by gathering for Shabbat and Festival meals. We invite God to our table through our prayers, our rituals, and our learning. In one of our oldest rabbinic texts, Pirkei Avot, we read: “Three who eat at one table and speak words of Torah, it is as if they have eaten at God's table (Avot 3:3).

When we make Shabbat dinner, we are not only showing our love to our family and guests; we are also showing our love to God.  Tomorrow evening, we'll be making a special Shabbat dinner here at the synagogue. It's not too late to join us.

I'll save you a seat at God's table.