Let Us Break Bread

“By bread and Salt, we are united,” Moroccan Proverb.

“A traveler on the mystic path is content with a loaf of bread; by its light he may be turned to the light of G-d.” Rumi

“There is a communion of more than our bodies when bread is broken and wine drunk,” M.F.K. Fisher

Bread is, in the words of my grandfather, “an interesting piece of business.” In the Jewish tradition, if you haven’t eaten bread, then to a great extent, you haven’t had a meal, regardless of what else went on your plate. A table which has bread on it is representative of the altar in the Temple, and thus must be treated with a higher level of respect. In the Sephardic tradition, if you plan to eat bread, then you must also be prepared to learn, for as it says in the Mishna (Pirke Avot 3:17), “Without bread, there is no Torah; without Torah, there is no bread.” The blessing before eating bread is unique amongst the food blessings in that, rather than addressing the source of the food to be eaten (ground, tree, vine, etc.), it hints to Eden, a time when man did not have to toil the provide food for himself. The blessing after bread is unique as well, encompassing multiple blessings and fulfilling numerous commandments; it highlights the great significance of bread in the relationship between people,  and between man and G-d.

Bread has great significance is the Muslim world as well. Aish, a word generally meaning fire and life, was also used for bread. A prayer of gratitude is made before kneading and baking bread. Bread is so valued as a gift from G-d, that it cannot be thrown on the ground or discarded with the trash. Rather it must be set aside to be used later or fed to the animals. Bread, eaten with salt, symbolizes the effort, creativity, and cooperation necessary to bring peace to to the world.

The Catholic/Christian traditions value bread as well. It is said that Jesus fed 5000 men with five loaves of bread and two fish. The Passover seder, epitomized by matzoh (unleavened [not risen] bread] is considered by many to have been the last supper. Unleavened bread is also part of the liturgy in many churches throughout the world, as well as the prayer,  “Our Lord who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Give us today our daily bread....” 

Bread signifies, in each of the cultures/religions the intimate relationship between G-d and man. In the practical world, bread is the result of G-d’s gift of grain and water combined with the hard work of man in growing, harvesting, milling, kneading and cooking the bread. It symbolizes the great partnership between G-d and mankind necessary to create a world that is nourishing and nurturing. In the spiritual sense, bread is G-d’s greatest gift; a source of protein, energy, and nutrition. It represents emotional and physical sustenance and even more than that, redemption and deliverance. 

So, how does something imbued with so much significance and meaning end up on the being on the “do not eat list” of so many diets? How does it get transformed from a source of vitality and nourishment into a rectangular white sponge, packed in plastic baggies, and sitting on the shelf for weeks? Suffice it say that industrialization and the misunderstanding that bread is hard to make and time consuming have robbed . What’s really important is the we reclaim bread for ourselves. Rich, robust, wholesome and nourishing of both body and spirit, bread can and should be enjoyed as part of healthy diet. 

They say that man cannot live by bread alone, and that may be true, but I say, let’s at least make it a tasty part!