A Deep Reason to Eat Cheesecake

Question:

What's behind the custom of eating dairy products on Shavuot? Is there a connection between the giving of the Torah at Mt Sinai and eating milk products? (I'm not complaining, I love cheesecake - I'm just looking for a deep spiritual excuse to eat more.)

Answer:

Milk is actually refined blood. In a complex and wondrous process, the mammary glands transform blood into pure white milk.

There's something supernatural about that. To take a liquid as pungent and distasteful as blood, and convert it into a nourishing and drinkable food is nothing short of miraculous.

We can simulate this miracle in our own lives. Blood represents raw animalistic passion and untamed instinct. Milk is a symbol of refinement and purity of character. Making milk out of blood - refining our lower instincts - is our life goal .

The Torah introduced a radical new path to achieve this goal - the divine commands. Through engaging in simple acts of goodness and sanctity, we can tame our animalistic instincts and align ourselves with the divine. With each individual act we elevate ourselves and our world another step, gradually transforming a rough and untamed existence into a home for G‑d. We can turn our blood into milk.

I also love cheesecake. But this year as we eat it, let's remember the message behind it - that the Torah was given to transform our selfish appetites into an appetite for giving; to turn our blood, which is just for ourselves, into milk, the one thing the body produces just to give to another.

By Aron Moss

Aron Moss is rabbi of the Nefesh Community in Sydney, Australia, and is a frequent contributor to Chabad.org. His latest book is "Can I Name My Dog Israel? Life Questions That Aren't So Black & White".

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11 Comments

yasher koach May 25, 2022

does it have to be cheesecake or can it be any dairy Reply

Mika Goldin Westchester County, NY May 25, 2020

Come on - that's really stretching it -- blood does not turn into milk! You are just looking for a spiritual response to a cultural custom. Just say it's a fun custom. The other explanation I read was that the NY cheesecake became so popular with the immigrant Jews between the two WWs that it became a tradition. This led to blintzes and other rich dairy foods. It's not dairy that's the custom (otherwise we would be eating cereal not cheesecake) -- it's these incredibly rich things that at other times may make people think about cholesterol. It's just a custom -- probably started somewhere in the Middle East and then worked its way into Poland and Russia, as these foods are common and famous treats in those areas. So don't meditate, just enjoy and try not to feel guilty (cheesecake has how many calories? You're kidding!). Reply

KW Brooklyn May 28, 2020

in response to Mika Goldin:

I am not commenting on the article itself, but this tradition is mentioned in earlier books by very famous Talmudic scholars as early as 500 years ago. Reply

J. Toronto July 24, 2017

Cow's milk product contains casein, a whey protein that is a good muscle builder. Folks like it because this protein makes bioavailable certain hormones that produce feelings of comfort; thus milk is the main ingredient of many comfort foods ...

Casein and whey produce amino acids; amino acids are the builder mechanisms of the human body.... these are nutritional facts ... check them on google. There is lots to kashrut that simply is good nutritional advice; good food combining advice to help with digestion, etc.

As far as Torah is concerned ... there are as many proofs ... "as the stars" staring with the book of Isaiah; 61, forwards and "backwards' ... Comfort thee, comfort thee, o Zion; for what reasons would you read the letter .... loved one, from the Lover? G-d speaks to the beloved ones... Reply

Yocheved Baltimore June 5, 2016

Cheesecake That was a fascinating insight into why we eat cheesecake, but I'm going to try not think about on Shavuos or i'll loose my appetite! Reply

Rabbi Tzvi Freeman June 15, 2011

Re: Blood/Milk Rabbi Moss is basing this on Talmud Bechorot 6b. There's a discussion concerning whether a non-kosher animal's milk should be considered kosher. The blood of a kosher animal is not kosher, yet its milk is. Perhaps we should say the same about a non-kosher animal? So the Talmud says it depends. If milk is transformed blood, then you have a good argument. But if milk has nothing to do with the blood, then the argument falls to pieces.

So there is an idea that relates blood to milk--at least one opinion of the discussion. I don't think there's really a discussion over the facts here--you could see it either way. The blood certainly takes a major part in the mammary glands' production of milk. The discussion could be simply: in that process, does it transfer over whatever it is that makes blood not kosher, or not? If it does (the 1st opinion), we would have to say that the process transforms the unkosherness into kosherness--which is what Rabbi Moss is talking about (see LT Bamidbar 17d). Reply

Robin westlake village, CA June 10, 2011

Blood/Milk I am a biochemist with a PhD from Harvard in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology. I am also an observant Jew, and I would like to comment that "blood" does not "turn into milk". Blood can be thought of more as the carrier of nutrients both that the mother eats and that she has as stores in her body. Mammory glands help use these nutrients delivered by the blood to make milk. Being scientifically accurate does not make the process any less miraculous. I would love to know the source the authors used to make the original statement that "blood turns into milk". Thanks! Reply

M H June 1, 2011

not a stupid question sorry, stephen, your question doesnt qualify. they only stupid question is the one that isn't asked. (answers, however, can be a different story...) Reply

hope this helps brooklyn, ny April 27, 2011

Stephen Weinstein the blood goes through a chemical change and it is no longer blood! its now milk Reply

Stephen Weinstein Camarillo, CA May 18, 2010

But anything made from blood is not kosher ?? Stupid question time.

Things made from blood are not kosher.

So if milk is refined blood, how is it kosher? Reply

esther serebryanski brool;yn, new york May 24, 2007

delicious thought thank you for your insight, i have shared it with others over shavuot. everyone felt inspired.
keep up the good work! Reply

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