Re'eh: Why kosher? Why not!!

Parashat Re'eh                     Torah Reading:  Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17
 
God said to Moshe:  You shall not seethe a kid in its mother's milk.
Moshe said to God:  Oh! Ok.  So we're going to have separate pots for foods with milk and foods with meat.

God said to Moshe:  You shall not seethe a kid in its mother's milk.
Moshe said to God:  Oh!  Ok.  So after we eat meat, we're going to wait three hours before we eat anything dairy.

God said to Moshe:  You shall not seethe a kid in its mother's milk.
Moshe said to God:  Oh!  Ok.  So we're going to wash our meat and dairy pots, dishes and utensils with separate sponges.

God said to Moshe:  Oh, go do what you want!!

One of the three times in the Torah that the verse  "You shall not seethe a kid in its mother's milk," appears in the Torah is in this week's parashah.  Re'eh also contains a list of the criteria for determining whether an animal (split hooves and chews its cud) or sea creature (fins and scales) is kosher (proper) for consumption.

Ah, kashrut . . . the Jewish dietary laws.  There is no element of Jewish tradition that is more iconic, more misunderstood, more cherished, feared, resisted and embraced.

Airline staff have informed me that kosher food is food that has been blessed by a rabbi.  If you sign up for J-Date, you will be asked two questions about your Jewish life:  how frequently you attend synagogues and whether you observe kashrut or not.  Members of the various congregations I've served have: told me that kosher food is healthier; have stood defensively between me and their shopping carts when we've bumped into each other in a supermarket aisle; have changed the menu of their simchah to vegetarian and fish after thinking about the disconnect of celebrating a bar or bat mitzvah with treife (not kosher) food; have invited me to kasher their kitchens; have made persuasive arguments about why the rules of kashrut should be relaxed in synagogue so that they can bring in their famous cake/soup/salad/cookies that they've made at home.

As the joke at the top of the page suggests, the laws of kashrut have multiplied exponentially beyond the few simple guidelines in the Torah.  The rabbis of the late antique period who shaped the fundamental laws of kashrut were motivated by the desire to create a system of rules on which everyone would rely, to anticipate questions over which people in their markets and kitchens might puzzle, turning the food Jews eat into a common language.

Somehow, we are bumping up against kashrut a lot.

Why?  Here is my list of reasons for cherishing, embracing and committing to kashrut:

1.  Kashrut compels us to be mindful of what we put into our mouths.  Rather than grabbing what is handy, we train ourselves to elevate our choices, to infuse what nourishes our bodies with a spiritual dimension.

2.  Kashrut is our quiet rebellion.  History and fate have placed us in a culture focussed on consumption, on instant gratification, on latest fads . . . kashrut is an eternal, consistent core criteria, it does not change with the seasons.  Kashrut is like a mast that holds steady in constantly changing winds.

3.  Kashrut: our not-so-secret handshake.  It's just so Jewish. Kashrut is a way to express, and to enhance, our sense of belonging to the Jewish world.  It's the way Jews eat.  It's never having to be apologetic because you can't invite someone Jewish to your home.  It's a way to express the Jewishness of your home and family that links you to Jews all over the world and Jews throughout history.

It's also fun, by the way.  I like to cook, and I've become a more creative cook by adapting recipes to my kosher kitchen and finding things to eat in restaurants around the world. 

So, if you'd like to know more, be in touch.  I'm delighted to answer any questions about keeping kosher any time!