Creating a Sacred Table: Be the High Priest of Your Grill

As we place our BBQ on the grill, we should approach our task with the reverence of a priest offering a sacrifice, knowing that we must be true to God, our community, and our families.
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It is time for the all-American barbeque! The guests are waiting, drinks in hand, standing besides bowls of chips, watching the host carefully preside over the food preparations. Tongs in hand, the modern American is king of the grill. But what if we strove to be high priests, not barbeque kings?

The ancient Israelites connected to God through animal sacrifices. The religious leaders of the community, the priests oversaw the process from start to finish. They prescribed the various types of sacrifices which different occasions called for; they examined sacrificial animals for blemishes which would exempt them from ritual use; they dealt with the busy season of the pilgrimage holidays; they even cleaned up the ashes when everyone else went home. The prize for their priestly labors? The intangible reward of doing God's will and leading their people, but also the practical compensation of working for a secure stream of food for themselves and their families. Some sacrifices were completely incinerated, but most were divided between the offering to God and to the priest. Not owning land, the priests depended on the sacrifices to feed their families. Therefore, they had very good motivation to accomplish their tasks with the great care. They had to please God, the community, and their families.

Today, even with ever-rising food prices, meat is relatively affordable and readily available. Although Americans are eating record amounts of prepared food, we still enjoy standing over the grill to make a steak, hamburger or hot dog. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the smell of freshly cooked meat wafts over our neighborhoods, whetting appetites, just as the air of ancient Jerusalem must have been heavy with the aroma of cooking meat. However, today we do not have a close relationship to our dinner. We do not raise the animal, working with it every day. We do not select the animal and butcher it. Instead, we drive to a store, buying the cut of meat we want, picking it out of a refrigerated case filled with similarly Styrofoam and plastic encased choices. Truth be told, we barely touch the meat before we eat it.

As we place our BBQ on the grill, we should approach our task with the reverence of a priest offering a sacrifice, knowing that we must be true to God, our community, and our families. While we do not need to check the animal for blemishes to ensure a proper offering, we should be making sure our values are not on vacation, just because it is summer. Meat production and consumption has a huge impact on the environment and our health. Living the values of shomer adamah (guarding the Earth) and sh'mirat haguf (preserving our health), we must ask ourselves if the amount of meat we are serving is really necessary. Plentiful vegetarian side dishes can balance grilled meat in order to reduce the amount of meat served. Also, we should not forget that cookouts can be completely vegetarian. Grilled vegetables or pizza can be delicious choices. When we do eat meat, we must consider how it was produced. As consumers, we can demand that our food is produced in a way that respects animal rights and human rights. In Judaism we are taught of the values of tzaar baalei hayyim, not inflicting unnecessary pain on animals, and oshek, not oppressing workers. We also need to consider the amount of food served. There is no reason to overwhelm your guests with food which will not be eaten. It is wasteful. If you really feel like buying a lot of groceries, it is better to donate to a food pantry or feeding program. Finally, cookouts do not require disposable plates and flatware. We can honor the Earth by using reusable items.

We serve God best when we live lives of values. Judaism teaches us that mundane acts like eating a hamburger can be elevated to a holy action by considering how our actions are connected to God and humanity. As we relax at this season of summer cookouts, we can elevate our grilling and infuse our food with values.

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