We all need to eat.
Think about it. The food we eat gives us the energy we need to move, think, and work. Eating is something we do every day in order to live, like breathing. But we breathe without thinking. Eating requires thought; it doesn’t happen automatically. We have to make a conscious effort to make sure that we eat.
So what does food have to do with being Jewish? Everything. And I’m not just talking about chicken soup and the “Eat! Eat!” refrain of Jewish grandmothers everywhere. Part of Judaism is the Jewish dietary laws-otherwise known as keeping kosher. And these laws have very deep roots indeed.
In Deuteronomy 14:2-3, G-d says:
For you are a holy people unto the Lord your G-d, and the Lord has chosen you to be His own treasure out of all peoples that are upon the face of the earth. You shall not eat any abominable thing.
This passage directly links our eating choices as Jews to our relationship with G-d, because if you follow the kosher laws, you will think about G-d every single time you eat something. What a gift! It’s easy to get caught up in the chaos and details of daily life. Unless we do things to remind us of being Jewish, it is easy to lose sight of our Judaism and of G-d.
What is keeping kosher all about? It’s about connections, spirituality, about elevating a routine necessity into something greater. Moreover, keeping kosher is something that anyone can do, regardless of age or prior experience.
My parents were in their early thirties when they decided to take the plunge and convert our kitchen into a kosher one. My father explained, “Keeping kosher is one of the few things we can do that gives meaning to the rest of what we do. The energy to live my day comes from food, and if my food is kosher, all of my activities will be infused with approved energy.” I was nine at the time and reluctant, at first, to accept this new way of life in our household. But I soon found that I liked the pause for thought that keeping kosher gave me, both in and out of the house.
So what are these “abominable things” we shouldn’t eat? In the Torah and in the Talmud, we learn the three basics of the laws of kosher:
■ No “forbidden” meat, fowl, or seafood (including pork, birds of prey, and shellfish);
■ No milk and meat together: They should not be eaten in the same meal, and separate dishes for milk and meat items are required;
■ Meat must be prepared according to the laws of kosher (e.g., animals slaughtered in accordance with kosher law and meat salted to remove blood).
Today, it’s easier than ever to keep kosher. Every year more food products bear symbols indicating that they have been supervised by a kosher supervising organization and that all ingredients used are kosher.
You might find it easier to convert your kitchen all at once, or you may prefer a gradual immersion into kosher waters.
You may start by simply eliminating forbidden foods from your house. When you shop, you may find yourself making a conscious decision at the market not to purchase items such as shrimp or pork; you may think to yourself, “I keep kosher. I don’t eat these foods.” When you prepare a meal, keep the butter off the table if you’re serving chicken. Again, these conscious decisions will be a reminder that, with your eating choices, you are fulfilling a mitzvah, a Divine commandment.
A special trip to a kosher butcher (or the kosher meat section at your supermarket) is another reminder of the mitzvoth you now can do. Eventually you may decide to buy separate dishes for meat and milk, and then ritually sterilize your appliances and set up a fully kosher kitchen.
Once you establish your kosher kitchen, you’ll think about G-d whenever you go grocery shopping, cook, or eat. You will always think about what you eat, how you eat it, and about the privilege of following G-d’s laws. You will be fulfilling a mitzvah with the simple, necessary act of eating.
Think about it.