To Life!
TORAH PORTION
A Diet Fit For Eternal Life
Shabbat Shemini:
Leviticus 9:1-11:47;
Samuel 6:1-7:17.
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38
April 12 2007
iN
arshat Shemini divides into
them more compassionately. Hence,
two halves, one for them and kosher meat is kinder meat.
one for us.
Well, this argument has a spotty
The first half is about the glories
record. Ideally it is true, but the kosher
and the calamities of Aaron
meat industry has not
and his family. We, the read-
always been in the van-
ers, sit outside that time and
guard of animal welfare.
place, observing the sacred
Due to public outcry, this is
spectacle of priests prepar-
changing for the better, but
ing the Temple service.
this argument alone cannot
sustain a kosher diet.
Perhaps the scene fills us
with awe or even envy.
The best explanation
But that ends when
is the one given by the
Torah itself in our portion:
Aaron's sons Nadav and
Rabbi Daniel
Avihu are struck dead.
Keep kosher, distinguish-
S. N evins
Suddenly, our distance feels
Specia I to the ing between the pure and
safe, like the way we feel
impure, in order to become
Jewish News
at a sporting event when a
holy.
powerful athlete lies injured on the
The verse says, "Sanctify yourselves,
playing field. We watch with sympathy, and you will become holy ones." The
but also with shameful relief that we
Talmud explains, "If a man sanctifies
are not personally involved.
himself a bit, they sanctify him a great
deal. If he sanctifies in this world,
And so, the parshah begins with a
bit of alienation for your ordinary Jew. then he is sanctified in the world to
We read the Torah, and we feel distant come." ( Yoma 39a).
from its action.
Kashrut is about overcoming the
alienation between God and us. By
All of that changes, however, in the
second half. Suddenly we are specta-
integrating holiness into our very diet,
we turn our homes into temples and
tors no more.
The Torah is reaching across history ourselves into priests. Kashrut is the
key to becoming holy. Through this
into our very time, into our homes
and kitchens with its kosher laws. The ancient diet, we differentiate ourselves
focus on purity and impurity that has in our devotion to God. Other diets
might help you live a longer life. The
occupied Leviticus until this point
Torah's diet is much more ambitious
is not an antiquated obsession. The
Torah is concerned with every break-
— you can eat your way to eternal
fast, lunch, dinner and all snacks in
life!
between. It is active and intrusive in
Daniel S. Nevins is a rabbi at Adat Shalom
our lives.
Synagogue in Farmington Hills.
Why must Jews keep kosher?
Readers who keep kosher have prob-
ably asked themselves this question
more than once! There have, of course,
Conversations
been many answers offered through-
What defines meat as kosher?
out our history.
Does it suffice to have an
The easiest to advance and the first
unblemished animal, a proper
to fall was the health argument. Eat
slaughter, inspection, soak-
a kosher diet because it is healthful.
ing and salting? Or should a
Well, that may or may not be true.
kosher animal also be treated
Stuffed kishka is probably not good
in a healthy and humane fash-
for your arteries. You cannot build a
ion? Does it matter how the
comprehensive diet on fear of trichi-
workers are treated in a kosher
nosis.
slaughterhouse? What is the
Thus another explanation — eat
connection between justice and
kosher because it is more moral. Jews
holiness?
treat their livestock better and kill