Fasting is another food practice that is fi rst set down in Leviticus,
and it’s one that has enormous importance to Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam. In the case of the Hebrews, it’s for the Day of Atonement,
Yom Kippur—a day when people are not supposed to work or have
fun. They just sit around and think about all the bad things they’ve
done and promise not to do them in the coming year. It’s the most
sacred holiday in the Jewish calendar. The other thing instituted is the Sabbath. The Bible claims that
the Sabbath has roots going all the way back to the creation—to
God’s resting on the seventh day. It’s explicitly commanded that
you aren’t allowed to work on the Sabbath. Leviticus also institutes
tithes—1/10 of all produce—to support the priests, a practice that
survives in Christianity, too. Hanukkah commemorates an episode during the Greek occupation,
when the Maccabees held an uprising. The signifi cance of the eight
days of Hanukkah is that the temple oil miraculously lasted eight
days during a siege. Hanukkah has its own food rituals, particularly
frying in oil. Around the time of Jesus, there was intense political turmoil. After
the Romans dispersed the Jews during the Diaspora, the ritual
sacrifi ces in the temple ceased. Among Jews, worship was now
in synagogues—sort of Greek-infl uenced schools, more places of
learning than holy temples. It’s also then that the home rituals that
focus so much on food take on much greater importance.Cooper, Eat and Be Satisfi ed.
Douglas, Purity and Danger.
Greenspoon, Food and Judaism.
Harris, Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches.
Simoons, Eat Not This Flesh.
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