I TORAH PORTION "PEACE WITH THE PALESTINIANS (?)" The Community is invited to meet and hear a Mideast Scholar of International renown — What Lies Behind The Laws Of Kashrut. RABBI RICHARD HERTZ Special to The Jewish News C Professor Daniel Pipes Director, Foreign Policy Research Institute Senior Lecturer, University of Pennsylvania Previously taught at Harvard U., University of Chicago and the U.S. Naval War College Appeared on CBS This Morning Good Morning America, The MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour, The Today Show Author of four books on Islam and the Middle East Advisor to Bush for President Campaign CONGREGATION BETH ACHIM TUESDAY, APRIL 24 21100 West 12 Mile Road 7:30 P.M. Southfield Admission Free Zionist Organization of America Sponsored by: Congregation Beth Achim Metro Detroit District Hadassah/GreaterDetroit Chapter Southfield This program was partly made possible through the courtesy of Mr. & Mrs. Morris D. Baker. 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Orley a new concept in high fashion for the full figured woman Spring Merchandise Arriving Daily Applegate Square • Northwestern at Inkster • 354 4560 - 52 Men's furnishings and accessories 19011 West Ten Mile Road Southfield, Michigan 48075 FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 1990 4RENDS Applegate Square SPRING MERCHANDISE ARRIVING DAILY Men's & Boys' 352-4244 Breast self-examination — LEARN. Call us. i' AMERICAN SOC CAlrig hapter 11 of Leviticus in this week's Torah portion ordains a system of dietary laws that specify what an Israelite may or may not eat as food. These dietary restrictions reflect the idea that what one eats is a matter of religious significance. During the early rabbinic period, dietary laws developed into major categories of religious law; ever since, they've been important elements in traditional religious life. Avoidance of the impure is a prerequisite for the attainment of holiness. "You shall be holy unto me for I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from other peoples to be mine." These laws of Leviticus offer a means by which individual Israelites and their families may contribute to the attain- ment of holiness. The broad social objective is clear: to maintain a distance between Israelites and their neighbors so that Israelites do not go astray after pagan religions. What lies behind these dietary laws? In modern times, scholars have noted that the Torah's classifica- tions of the dietary laws are virtually unreflected in the rest of biblical literature. This absence is in itself a ma- jor problem of biblical inter- pretation. Scholars indicate that dietary laws of the Torah were not practiced in earlier periods but were the subject of great concern in the rabbinic period after the biblical canon was closed. One of the myths of the dietary laws is that they were instituted for the purpose of making people healthier. Some thought the principal reason the Torah forbids the eating of the flesh of swine is that pigs live in dirty and loathsome surroundings. But when the rules of kashrut were instituted, they had nothing to do with health or physical fitness. The word "kosher" appears in the Bible three times, none of which is connected with food. The dietary laws were in- stituted to make the people of Israel holy. The Torah teaches that God brought Israel out of Egypt to be a holy people, a people apart, distinguished Richard Hertz is rabbi emeritus of Temple Beth El. from all others by outward customs and ceremonies that help make them holy, a witness to God's sovereignty and purity. The Israelites were to be a kingdom of- priests. These laws were to be considered hukim statutes, which must be obeyed whether or not the individual understands their purpose or meaning. Holiness is the purpose of many ceremonial institutions of Judaism, but especially is holiness emphasized in con- nection with the dietary laws. The danger of becoming assimilated and absorbed by the surrounding peoples in ancient times was felt then no less than today. Throughout history, the Jewish people was able to preserve its identity during Shemini: Leviticus 9:1-11:47, Samuel I 20:18-42. centuries of persecution be- cause of the laws and regula- tions by which the identity of Jews was preserved. To main- tain a distance between the ancient Israelites and their neighbors so they would not go astray after pagan religions was a basic objective of the Torah. Food had a particular func- tion. People who ate together and shared a common table found conventional restraints relaxed, with familiarity pro- moted and close friendships resulting. But many rabbis warned Jews should not eat bread with non-Jews because they may be led to drink their wine or to intermarry with them, and thus be led to serve their gods. By obeying dietary laws, Jews made themselves immune from the dangers of assimilation. Some believed that obser- vance of the dietary laws made for moderation. The ability to suppress the crav- ing for certain things had strong influences on character, developing self con- trol and self-mastery. Others believed dietary laws toughened the moral fiber of Jews and enabled them to adapt to various conditions and circumstances of surroun- ding peoples. Still others thought these laws tended to develop traits of tenderness and kindness especially with regard to the meticulous ways in which animals were to be slaughtered.