For the Jews, sacrifice is the only way to worship God. With the destruction of the Temple in the year 70 C.E., the priests could no longer offer sacrifices. Therefore, the Rabbis had to find symbols that could serve as substitutes to meet the people's needs. It became the job of every Jew to perform rituals, which reminded them of the sacrifices. Since the sacrifices frequently involved eating, the most obvious time for such reminders was at meals. The rabbis therefore included rituals, which made the eating process more than just a physical function for survival.

Hand-washing
The rabbis ordered all Jews to wash their hands ritually before eating so as to make them remain ritually pure. This also reminded them that the priests also washed their hands before performing the sacrifices.

Blessing Before Eating
Before the Jews have to say a blessing before eating. There are specific blessings for fruit (Blessed are you Adonai, our God, Ruler of the world, who creates the fruit of trees), vegetables (Blessed are you, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the world, who creates the fruit of the ground), and non-bread grain products (Blessed are You, Adonai, Ruler of the world, who creates varieties of foods). Meat, fish, and dairy products are all covered under a single blessing (Blessed are you, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the world, by whose word everything was created.)

Grain Sacrifice
As part of the daily grain sacrifice, the priests offered bread with salt. The Rabbis thus declared that bread was the food, which defined a meal. The Jews can eat a lot of other foods, but until they eat bread, they haven't eaten an official meal; they haven't made a full sacrifice-substitute. Traditionally, the Jews begin each meal by eating a piece of bread sprinkled with salt, a direct reminder of the daily grain sacrifice. Before they eat bread, of course, they say a blessing: "Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the world, the Bringer of Bread from the earth." Once they have said the blessing over bread, they don't have to say a blessing over any other food; the Bread Blessing covers all other foods.

The Rabbis added another meaning to the ritual of eating bread with salt. Salt will not spoil. It lasts forever. By using salt, they are saying that their relationship with God will last forever. It is another emphasis on the miracle of eating and the wonder of being a Jew.

While Eating
So, by first washing our hands like the priests did, saying a specific blessing, and eating bread sprinkled with salt, they have made a simple meal into a sacrifice-substitute. The Jews emphasize that food is a miracle from God by not talking from the time they wash their hands to the time they say the blessing and eat the salt-sprinkled bread. The silence gives them an added chance to think about they relationship with God.

Blessing After Eating
Any meal calling for the blessing over bread traditionally ends with a series of four blessings (originally three) praising and thanking God. This collection of prayers is called Birkat HaMazon, the Blessing of Sustenance. It fulfills the Torah commandment found in Deuteronomy 8:10, "You will eat, be satisfied, and bless to Adonai your God for the good land which He has given you."

If bread is not eaten, there are two different forms of blessing after eating, depending on the nature of the food consumed. For food prepared from the five species of grain (wheat, barley, rye, oats, and spelt), wine, or the fruits found in the land of Israel (grapes, figs, olives, pomegranates, and dates) a short summary of the Grace after Meals is said. This is in the form of one benediction with insertions for the type of food eaten. This is called in the Talmud B'rachah Me'ein Shalosh, "the blessing summarizing the three." For any other food a short benediction is recited.

Different Views Upon Sacrifices
On one hand, many modern Liberal Jews don't think it is very important to remember the Temple and the sacrifices. They believe that those "good old days" were not very good. The noise of the animals, the smell of blood, and the idea that a special group (priests) served as go-betweens with God, offend them. So they don't like to perform rituals which remind them of the sacrifices.

One the other hand, many people think that it is important to make eating special. They are more than just animals stuffing their faces. People often try to make meals special. Some people put flowers on the table. Some light candles. Talented cooks put the food on the plates in beautiful arrangements. Most families have rules about sitting together at meals and talking.

The Yo Yo Diet of the Jewish Calendar Year
The Jews' holidays are all linked to either eating (usually over-eating) or fasting. Here is a list of the Jewish calendrical year as it relates to food:
Rosh Hashanah -- Feast
Tzom Gedalia -- Fast
Yom Kippur -- More fasting
Sukkot -- Feast
Hashanah Rabbah -- More feasting
Simchat Torah -- Keep feasting
Month of Heshvan -- No feasts or fasts for a whole month. Get a grip on themselves
Hanukkah -- Eat potato pancakes
Tenth of Tevet -- Do not eat potato pancakes
Tu B'Shevat -- Feast
Fast of Esther -- Fast
Purim -- Eat pastry
Passover -- Do not eat pastry
Shavuot -- Dairy feast (cheesecake, blintzes etc.)
17th of Tammuz -- Fast (definitely no cheesecake or blintzes)
1st of Av to the 9th of Av--Dairy products; abstain from meat.
Tisha B'Av -- Very strict fast (don't even think about cheesecake or blintzes)
Month of Elul -- End of cycle. Enroll in Center for Eating Disorders before the High Holidays arrive again.