Kohathite: The Hidden Reason Supermarkets Throw Away Perfectly Good Food (And How We're Stopping It, One Store At A Time)

The Hidden Reason Supermarkets Throw Away Perfectly Good Food (And How We're Stopping It, One Store At A Time)

When we open the Scriptures, we see a God who cares deeply about how we treat both His creation and one another. In Deuteronomy 24:19–21, HaShem commands Israel not to go back over the fields a second time, but to leave what remains for “the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow.” This wasn’t just agricultural law — it was divine compassion woven into everyday life. Our abundance was never meant to end with ourselves. It was always meant to overflow into the lives of others.

And Yeshua reaffirmed this when He said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). Feeding the hungry isn’t just charity; it’s worship. It’s an act of honoring HaShem.

A Tale of Two Worlds: Full Shelves, Empty Tables

A few months ago, I visited a local supermarket right before closing time. The bakery shelves were still piled with loaves of bread, golden challah, and trays of pastries. Yet, when the clock struck nine, workers began sweeping them into black trash bags. Perfectly good food — food that could have filled the stomach of a child — destined for the dumpster.

That same night, just a few miles away, I met Miriam, a single mother with three children. Her oldest, only ten, had quietly stopped bringing friends home after school because there wasn’t enough food in the pantry to share. The family had been skipping meals, stretching a bag of rice and a few cans of beans as far as it could go.

The contrast broke my heart. Here was abundance discarded, and here was a family praying for provision.

Why Does This Happen?

Supermarkets throw away food for many reasons: “sell by” dates that are misunderstood, slight imperfections in produce, or corporate rules that forbid donations out of fear of liability. Often, the hidden reason is convenience. It’s simply easier and faster to throw food away than to coordinate getting it into the hands of people who need it.

And yet, Proverbs 19:17 reminds us: “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward them for what they have done.” If kindness to the poor is a direct offering to HaShem, then wastefulness in the face of hunger is a wound against His heart.

Stories of Hope: What Happens When Food Is Rescued

But the story doesn’t end with despair. In fact, HaShem is raising up people all over the world to redeem what is wasted.

Just last month, I joined a team of volunteers at a food recovery center. We picked up crates of bruised apples, cartons of milk just days from their “sell by” date, and stacks of unopened packaged bread from a local store. All of it had been headed for the landfill.

That night, those very apples became part of a warm dinner for a shelter housing families who had lost everything. I watched a little boy sink his teeth into a slice of bread with butter, smiling as if it were the best meal he’d ever had. His mother wept quietly in the corner, whispering, “We didn’t know where the next meal was coming from. Now we have hope.”

This is redemption in action — taking what was meant for the trash and turning it into nourishment and dignity.

Living Out Our Faith

As Messianic believers, we are called to live in a way that reflects Yeshua’s compassion and the Torah’s wisdom. Food recovery is not just about saving groceries; it’s about aligning our lives with God’s heart for stewardship and care.

It honors creation by preventing waste.
It honors people by feeding the hungry.
It honors HaShem by practicing justice and mercy.

Every loaf of bread saved, every apple rescued, every family fed — these are acts of worship, as holy as prayer and as pleasing as song.

How You Can Join the Story

The need is great, but so is the hope. You can be part of the change:

Share this message. Let others know that food recovery is possible, practical, and powerful.
Volunteer. Find a local food bank or recovery group and give a few hours to help rescue and distribute food.
Donate. Your gifts can fund trucks, storage, and the simple logistics that make food recovery possible.
Advocate. Talk to your local grocery stores, congregations, and community leaders. Encourage them to support recovery efforts.

Together, we can turn waste into blessing. We can make sure that no child has to go to bed hungry while perfectly good food is thrown away down the street.

Beloved, this is our moment to rise up as people of the covenant — to care for the poor, to honor creation, and to worship HaShem with our hands as much as our hearts. May we be found faithful, not just in what we believe, but in how we love.

Will you join me in this journey?