Rabbi Reuven Mann – Young Israel of Phoenix
Kashrut is one of the most misunderstood aspects of Judaism. Religion is generally associated with personal holiness and proper behavior toward others. Why would G-d care what we eat? The common belief is prohibited foods are “unclean” and injurious to one’s health. This explanation has achieved a widespread following as evidenced by the fact kosher food has become a multi-million dollar industry in America and the bulk of the consumers are not Jews.
But in my opinion, kashrut is to train us to control our instincts. We should not live as animals and gratify whatever desires we have. Thus, before eating we must check to see if the food is kosher. We thus cultivate the virtue of restraint and learn that we can’t always have what we want. Maimonides, in his famous legal code, combined the laws of kashrut with those of forbidden sexual relations and titled the section, “The Book of Holiness.” Holiness, for him consisted in man’s ability to master his primal instincts. The laws of kashrut are more relevant now than ever. Much societal devastation is traceable to loss of control over the sexual instinct, which has produced disease, unwanted children, abortion and broken homes. At the same time the greatest threat to health is bad nutrition and obesity. Modern man who lives in the midst of abundance desperately needs to learn how to subdue his instincts and redirect his energies toward higher goals
Rabbi Arthur Lavinsky – Beth El Congregation, Phoenix
Kashrut is one of the defining pillars of traditional Jewish life. While many have endeavored to link our dietary laws to various health benefits (e.g. avoiding pork products because of trichinosis), the main reason for keeping kosher is to fulfill God’s will.
The observance of kashrut is one of those mitzvot that refines the Jewish soul and encourages us to be mindful of our relationship with the Almighty each and every day and at every single meal. Whether we are at home, at a business luncheon across town, or traveling the world, we need food to sustain ourselves. Therefore, a Jew who observes kashrut will go to great lengths to make sure that the food that s/he eats meets certain ritual standards. That observance may vary from one religious movement and one Jew to the next. Therefore, while “eating out” at a non-kosher restaurant, one Jew may simply ascertain that all of the food is intrinsically kosher (to pork, shellfish or forbidden meat), while another may restrict him/herself to salad, fruit or a pre-packaged kosher airline meal.
Additionally, if we as Jews are supposed to mindful of what we put into our mouths, we should also be meticulous about what comes out of our mouths. We should strive for – “Kosher in-Kosher out.”
