SHEMINI
Kashrut: An Imaginative Dialogue
Adapted from Ellen Frankel
Beruriah the Scholar
teaches: "Kosher" food literally means "proper"
food. In Parshat Shemini, we find
a list of forbidden animals, purity laws governing our contact with animals
that have died of natural causes, and rules about vessels that hold food.
Our Daughters ask: What is the meaning of these statutes, laws, and
rules which YHWH our God has commanded us?
Miriam the Prophet
answers: God has bound us to this
demanding discipline so that we can sanctify our community. As it is written, "For I am the
God who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; you shall be
holy, for I am holy." (Lev.
11:45)
Esther the Hidden One
proposes: Kashrut's taboos teach us how to conduct our lives. So, for instance, we are not to behave
like the forbidden animals - pigs, which wallow in filth and eat refuse;
shellfish, which scavenge for their food; and birds of prey, which attack those
weaker than themselves. We are not only what we eat, but also how we eat.
Our Mothers add: The
responsibility for keeping a kosher home has always fallen primarily on our
shoulders. We read the fine print
on the labels, stand guard over our many sets of dishes - not to mention the
extraordinary efforts we make for Passover. It is a hands-on spiritual teaching, and it is
exhausting!
Return to Reb Laura's
"Taste of Torah" list.
Return
to "Teachings from Our Rabbis and Friends" list.
|
[ Home ] |
[ Asiyah ] |
[ Yetzirah ] |
[ Briyah ] |
[ Atzilut ] |
[ Calendar ] |
|
|
( Doing ) |
( Feeling ) |
( Knowing ) |
( Being ) |
|