Mildly Judgy: A Passover Food Rant

A short case for eating less processed food this Passover.

Warning: mildly judgy food rant ahead 🍷🍷🍷🍷

Have you ever wondered why we change our diet so drastically during Passover? What is the meaning of this annual week of food restriction? Let’s look at how this ancient practice speaks directly to our modern struggles with food and health.

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The Freedom We Really Need

Before October 7th, many of us thought of Passover’s message of freedom as purely metaphorical. Recent events have changed that perspective dramatically. Yet for most of us, our “captivity” is more personal—we’re held hostage by our own patterns, whether with food, thoughts, emotions, or relationships.

Chametz vs. Matzah: More Than Just Bread

Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato, an 18th-century Italian mystic, explained that chametz (leavened bread) represents indulgence and excess, while matzah symbolizes simplicity and self-restraint. The Israelites weren’t just escaping physical slavery; they were purifying themselves for a new purpose.

Food for Thought

Chametz refers to leavened bread and any food products made from wheat, barley, oats, rye, or spelt that have been allowed to ferment and rise. What qualifies as chametz: Any grain product that has come into contact with water for 18 minutes or more. Jews are forbidden to eat, own, or benefit from chametz during the eight days of Passover.

Chametz represents “puffing up” or arrogance—the ego that inflates our sense of self-importance and separates us from humility before God. Just as yeast causes dough to rise and expand, pride causes our hearts to swell with self-righteousness, making us forget our connection to the Divine. The fermentation process that creates chametz mirrors how arrogance ferments within us, slowly corrupting our character and relationships. By removing every trace of chametz from our homes and lives, we commit to examining and eliminating the inflated ego that prevents us from compassion, wisdom, and connection to the sacred.

The removal of chametz represents liberation from both physical and spiritual bondage—just as our ancestors were freed from Egyptian slavery, we (as individuals and the Jewish people) seek freedom from the internal slavery of pride, selfishness, and spiritual complacency. This annual purification prepares our hearts to receive the lessons of Passover and embrace the humility necessary for true redemption.

Why We Need This Reset

In today’s world of processed foods and constant indulgence, we’re more in need of this reset than ever. Here’s why:

1. Breaking Bad Habits: Removing chametz for a week disrupts our routines, making us more mindful of how we feel in our body and what we choose to eat.

2. Simplifying Our Diet: Matzah’s plainness contrasts sharply with our usually complex, additive-filled diets.

3. Physical Action, Mental Shift: Judaism may seem “head-based,” but Passover engages us physically and this impacts us mentally and emotionally. As the 13th-century text Sefer ha-Chinuch states, “Hearts are drawn after the actions.”

   

The Irony of Modern Kosher-for-Passover Foods

Here’s where things get interesting—and a bit ironic. Passover is meant to be a time of simplicity, yet the modern kosher-for-Passover food industry has turned it into something else entirely. Instead of whole foods, we often see shelves stocked with imitation cereals, potato-starch cakes, and chemically engineered snacks.

This approach contradicts the very essence of Passover. If we’re meant to break free from what enslaves us, shouldn’t we use this time to escape our dependence on processed foods that harm our bodies and mind?

As we prepare for Passover, let’s consider what true freedom means for our bodies and mind.

Passover teaches us that sometimes, simple is better.

What’s one change will you make this Passover to embrace a healthier, more mindful approach to eating? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

To our healthy & meaningful Passover!

Chag Pesach Sameach 🍷🍷🍷🍷

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