WHAT IS "FOOD"? If we consider ourselves to be the people of YHWH Flohim, we should be taking our instruction for how to live from His instruction manual, the Scriptures, and definitions of words should be based upon their first use In Scripture. This Is called, “the law of furst-menuon", Any subsequent modifications of these definitions need to be stated in Scripture. Subsequent uses of words in Scripture may modify their meaning but never contradict. Ifa subsequent use of a word in Scripture seems to contradict what was first stated in Scripture, and there has been no clearly stated modification of the meaning of What word in Scripture, then our definition of that word is wrong. ‘The first use of the word "food" in the Scriptures is in Beresheit/Genesis 1:29: "And Hohim said, ‘See, I have given you every plant that yields seed which is on the face of all the carth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed, to you it is for food.” The word translated "tood" in this passage is "aklah", Strong's number 402 meaning "food", and is from the root "akal", numher 398, meaning "to eat, consume, devour". In the beginning, “food” meant plant foods. Following the fluod Eluhim told Noah, "Every moving creature that lives is food for you Thave given you all, as I gave the green plants, But do mot eat flesh with its life, its blood” (Beresheit/Genesis 9:3-4). Herein Noah was told that people could eat the flesh of animals, but they could not cat animal flesh torn from a living animal or drink the blood of an animal. ‘This change in eating is understood to have becn insututed by YHWH Elohim hecasise of a deterioration in the quality of the environment and hfestylc following the flood in which, as many believe, the animal fonds became necessary for sustaining human life in an optimum manner, Therefore, following the flood, man-kind was allowed to eat both plant-fvods and the flesh of animals for their food, which included animals of the earth, birds, and fish (1:2). ‘Then in Leviticus 11:2, YHWH Elohim specified which food from among the beasts on the earth was to be food for the people who belonged to Him: "speak to the children of Yisra'el, saying, "These are the living creatures which you do eat among all the beasts that are on the earth: Whatever has a split hoot completely divided, chewing the cud, ‘among the beasts, that you do eat... These you do eat of all that are in the waters: any one that has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas or in the rivers, that you do eat” (Wayyiqra/Leviricus 11:2-3, 9). Then the passage goes on to delineate more clearly which animals are included and excluded from the diet and to discuss specific birds and insects which may and may not be caten. Why did YITWIT Flohim give these guidelines to His people’ Was it to be hard on us, or just to see if we would be obedient to some willy-nilly law that lle made up? No. He gave us these guidelines in order to bless us with good health and longevity. The animals which are prescribed as “food” for the people of YHWH Elohim have clean flesh. Most of them eat a vegetable-based diet and have physlological mechanisms which allow their bodies to eliminate toxins from their systems easily including the split hoof and a compound stomach in the case of the mammals. The creatures which are excluded as "food" for YHWH's people were created for a different purpose on the earth which is to rid the earth of unwanted waste matter. They are the vacuum cleaners of the earth. All of them, including the pig and all bottom-fish, eat rolling putrid matter, including feces and their own dead young, in order to keep the earth and water clean on the earth, When they eat this matter it dues nut bother chem2 but the toxins from what they have ingested remain in the flesh of their bodies because they do not have mechanisms in their bodies which serve to cleanse their boics from these toxins. Toxins from the rotten matter are present in the flesh of unclean animals while it is alive, slaughtered, marketted, cooked, and when it is eaten, The uncleaness of these animals is the reason why their flesh is very perishable and must be cooked thoroughly. ‘There are seasons when shellfish cannot be eaten at all, In addition to the toxins in the flesh of the scavenger animals, the by-products from digesting the meat of these scavenger animals are highly poisonous. ‘these by-products are called "death enzymes", cadaverine, putrescine and others, which are uscful in nature because they enable all things to break down into dust after their death. But these enzymes are detrimental to a living organism such as a human heing who eats them, As soon as four hours after a pig has eaten whatever he eats, it has been digested and the pig can be slaughtered and the meat on the (able. This is why Leviticus 11; 7-8 states, "and the pig, though it has a split hoof, completely divided, yet does not chew the cud, it is unclean to you. Their flesh you do not eat, and their carcasses you do not touch. ‘They are unclean to you". Verses 10-11 goes on, "But all that have not fins and scales in the seas and in the rivers, all that move in the waters or any living creature which is in the waters, they are an abomination to you. They are an abomination to you-of their flesh you do not eat, and their carcasses you abominate. All that have not fins or scales (which are lacking either fins or scales] in the waters is an abomination to you". The warning on the sea creatures is repeated three limes and the word “abomination” is used three umes and "abominate" once. ‘his should make it very clear that these are not good for us to cat. We may not notice anything unusual upon eating these items, especially if we have eaten them all our lives, although many experience allergy-like reactions to shellfish which are very likely caused by their toxicity. However, over time, eating unclean animals causes (or conuributes to the severity of) many health problems. Many who have turned to a kosher diet even later in life will attest \o the improvement int healt which they experience. This improvment is often evident within a short time of making this shift. It is easy to research the topic of clean and uncican animais on the internet, or look for a book called, "the Maker's Diet” by Jordan S. Rubin. YHWH from the beginning has been making a separation hetween the clean and the unclean, between darkness and light and those who will follow Him and those who will not. For those who are followers of Him, whether in the Ume of the beginning of the nation of Yisra'el or today, the guidelines are the same (Bemidbar/Nuibers 15:15-16). If we are grafted into the nation of Israel, then we are partakers in the same covenants as ‘were laid out in the beginning and all is for our blessing! While Colossians 2:14 states, that the certificate of debt for our sins was nailed to the tree, this did not negate the Torah (law) itself. We have many misunderstandings to undo. In these days YHWH is trying to restore to us what He gave to Israel in the beginning and bring out a remnant of people for His honor and esteem, ‘When we examine teaching in the Brit Chadashah (New Testament) having to do with cating, we need to bear in mind that the only thing called "food" for the people of YHWH Elohim is that which was laid out in Wayyigra/Leviticus 11 and which is reiterated in Debarim/Deuteronomy 14. ‘The word "food" does not refer to whatever onc can put inones mouth without immediately vomiting as it does today! We may be sure that Yahshua ate according to Torah, the disciples ate according to Torah, Shaul (Paul) act according to Torah, and all the believers in the first century and beyond ate according to Torah. "And you shalt be set-apart, for Tam set-apart™ (Wayyiqra/Leviticus 11:45). Having said this, let us now examine a few of the Scripture passages in the Brit Chadashah (New Testament) which have been so sorely misconstrued, to our great detriment, beginning with Acts Chapter 10, Acts Chapter 10 is about a man named Cornelius, “dedicated, fearing Elohim”, which is understood to mean that he kept Sabbath ("Restoration Scriptures", p. 833) and was learning Torah (called, "a God-fearer"). During prayer to "Elohim" Cornelius was told to send men to Yapho to get Kepha (Peter, whereupon he sent two of his servants and a soldier. The next day as the three men were approaching Yapho, Kepha went up on a house-top to pray and subsequently he became hungry and wanted to eat but fell into a wance while food was being prepared. He saw "something like a great sheet bound at the four corners” comung down from the heaven containing “all kinds of four-footed beasts of the earth" and other animals and "a voice came to him, "Rise up, Kepha, slay and eat” (v. 13). Kepha responded, "Not at all, Master! Because I have never eaten whatever is commen or unclean" (v. 14). “And a voice came (o him again he second time, ‘What Flohim has cleansed you do not consider common’ (v. 15). And this took place three limes, "And while Kephia was doubting within himself about what the vision might mean” the men who had been sent from Cornelius came to the gate of the house and asked after Kepha, who was "hinking about the vision". The Spirit told him, "Sec, three men scck you, But rise up, go down and go with them, not doubting at all, tor I have sent them” (vs. 19-20). When Kepha talked to the men, they told him that he was to come with them and he invited them in, housed them and went with Wem the next day. "Well", we say, "Big deal". Well, it was a big deal and the clue to why it was a big deal is in verses 19-20. Why did the Spirit tell Kepha to go with the men "not doubting at all"? There could be several reasons including that Kepha didn't know the men, they didn’t look friendly, Kepha had other plans. But the reason is that the men were "gentilcs", ‘The sheet which Kepha saw was very likely a "prayer shawl". ‘The four comers of the prayer shawl symbolize the four corners of the earth to which the exiles of Israel had been sent in the sixth Century B.C.E. and frum which they are to be gathered (Yeshayahu/Isaish 12:12) The beasts in the prayer shawl represent those exiles who are now like "gentiles", those who are pagan and withour the True Elohim in their lives, haying been assimilated into the nations. The sheet was let down three times symbolizing the three men who came to the door. Kcpha protested that he had never eaten anything “common or unclean". The voice said that "What Elohim has cleansed you do not consider common" The three men came o the door while "Kephia was doubling within himself what the vision might mean (v. 17), and "thinking about the vision" (v. 19) and Kepha received them, There is nothing further in this passage concerning eating or food because this passage is not about cating or food. It is not about a prescribed change in the Torah guidelines regarding food. It is about that the Jews would not associate with gentiles,