Why did they eat?

Three angels approach Avraham in the guise of travelers passing by in the heat of the day. Avraham exhibits incredible chesed as he hurries himself and his family to prepare a meal and a place to rest for his guests – all this during the most painful period of recovery from his bris milah.

“He took cream and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and placed these before them; he stood over them beneath the tree and they ate - ויאכלו,” (Bereishis 18, 8).

There are various ways to understand the phrase, “and they ate - ויאכלו”. Looking at it from the perspective that they actually consumed the food, the obviously question is why? Angels, unlike human beings, have no physical body and therefore no need for nutrition. What benefit occurred from their “digesting” the meal?

Elevation – otherwise known as spiritual health.

Angels get their nourishment directly from G-d. They don’t need the intermediary of food in order to be healthy. We also get all of our sustenance from HaShem. But He created the world that we, as physical beings, need to receive our fuel in the form of food - the wonderful, enjoyable and stimulating delivery system of our health and vitality.

But there is an additional function to eating that we can share with the Angels. When a higher form of existence consumes a lower form, that act elevates it to a greater spiritual level than it could have ever achieved on its own.

Even though food – plants and animals – has inherent kedushah by being created by HaShem, it is raised to higher plane when consumed by a greater creation.

The korbon (sacrifice) doesn’t elevate the mizbeyach (altar). The mizbeyach elevates the korbon. Food doesn’t elevate Shabbos. Shabbos elevates food.

That’s what the angels did by “eating” Avraham’s meal. And that is what we do every time we eat - we take the limited spiritual potential of food and attach it to our more sophisticated and valuable mode of life. We take the worlds of the tzamei'ach (plant life) and chai (animal life) and raise them to the level of medaber (human life).

Or do we?

If we let our animalistic desires for self-indulgence dictate our behavior with food, are we in fact elevating the gift HaShem has given us to provide our physical wellbeing and opportunity for spiritual refinement?  Or are we exploiting the occasion – lowering ourselves and the food in the process? Heart disease instead of health. Stroke instead of satiation. Diabetes instead of digestion.

Angels don’t have a choice. We do.

Rabbi Eli Glaser, CNWC, CWMC is a Certified Nutrition, Wellness & Weight Management Consultant and Director of SOVEYA (Changing the Jewish World - One Pound at a Time). To contact Soveya: 443-501-3082, info@soveya.com or www.soveya.com