Our Gemara on Amud Beis uses the famous Talmudic term, Chulin Shena’asu Al Taharas Hakodesh, which literally means non-holy produce that is treated with the same stringencies as sacrificial produce. As we saw in Psychology of the Daf Chaggigah 18, the pious chaverim conducted themselves with extra purity and maintained Tahara as if they were cohanim in the Beis HaMikdash, even in ordinary daily life.

Of course the practice of חולין על טהרת הקדש was not merely an action, but also a metaphor for a way of life. That is, taking the ordinary and secular and elevating it in the service of Hashem, as we discussed in the prior daf.

The Shalah (Shaar HaOsiyos, Kedushas Ha’achilah, Ma’achalos Asuros, 7) notes that food is a particular primed for spiritual elevation or the opposite. It is significant that the first directive from God to Man is regarding food (Bereishis 2:16-17):

“Of every tree of the garden you shall eat. but as for the tree of knowledge of good and bad, you are forbidden to eat of it.”

Shalah notes that not only is the first directive about eating, but it also involves eating and NOT eating. This is because spiritual elevation depends not only on proper abstention from food, but also proper conduct and intentions when eating as well. Elsewhere, the Shalah (Aseres Hadibros, Chulin, Torah Ohr 90) notes that the tractate of Chulin is in Seder Kodshim, to underscore that even the consumption of regular food takes on the status of sacrifices when done with the intention to serve God.