Is the Experience of the Divine Enjoyable?

By Anonymous -


Enduring God through food is a multi-sensory experience that brings near what is sensed from afar. Specifically, eating, in a religious context, involves internalizing God, a being whose home is heaven, an entity that surrounds us and extends into the universe. When speaking of this class, it may be easy to wrongly associate good tasting food with good, positive experiences. While there is a sort of network association between eating something delicious and feeling good, there could also be positive effects of bitter flavors.
There could be some sweets, like the cuban, "pastelito de guayaba y queso," that are not appealing to all people. The desire or aversion to the flavor is unique to each individual-- as is each person's positive and negative life experiences. Sometimes life is bitter and other times life is sweet.

"Hillel's Sandwich," served each Passover Seder, sends us a simple religious message: approach all hardships in life with positivity because whatever is being bestowed upon you, is ultimately God's will. The sandwich, made of bitter herbs and matzah, reminds us to live life, trusting in God and trusting that the good and the bad all occur through Him.









Though I have not tried a Hillel Sandwich myself, JBK described the flavors in one as bitter and sweet but overall more sweet. Now think of the sweet taste as God and the bitter taste as adversity. My religious interpretation of the meal is that not all moments with God are pleasurable and that those dealing with some hardship should keep their faith in Him because in the end He will take care of you. This is also why the sandwich should never be eaten separately. Mixing the bitter and sweet flavors represents living life happily through its hardships. 









Comments

  1. Jonathan Brumberg-KrausMarch 1, 2015 at 8:01 PM

    Good points. What is about the flavor of pastelito de guayaba y queso that some people find off-putting?

    ReplyDelete

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