Rabbi Andrew Klein |
Our rabbi A Simple Way to Understand Kashrut, Kosher and Kosher-style Kashrut is the system of Jewish dietary laws - which foods are permissible, which foods are forbidden, and how foods can and cannot be combined. Foods that fall within the kashrut guidelines are called kosher; those outside of the guidelines are called treif. Some Jews keep kosher, and some do not. The Torah is the basis for Judaism’s dietary laws, but later codes of Halakhah, Jewish Law, (like the Talmud, the Shulchan Aruch, and Maimonides’s Mishneh Torah), all contain much more detail about the exact ways to keep kosher. The specifics of kashrut are complex, and there is great debate amongst observant Jews who keep kosher about how to do it properly. But to keep it simple, the basics of kashrut are: Do not eat any form of pork or shelled seafood (treif). Do not eat meat or chicken that has not been slaughtered according to the laws of kashrut. Do not combine meat and dairy at any one sitting. As we modern liberal Jews decide what our personal viewpoints on kashrut are, it’s important to understand the Reform Movement’s approach to all matters of Halakah. Traditional observant Jews feel obligated to follow Jewish law. Reform Jews believe that it’s important to understand what Jewish law teaches about any issue so we can then make up our own minds about what place (if any) those teachings have in our lives today. Certainly as individuals, modern liberal Jews run the full range of keeping kosher. As a Reform congregation, Temple Habonim adheres to the “kosher-style” guidelines that most Union for Reform Judaism congregations follow when serving food at the synagogue. This means specifically that we do not ever have treif in the synagogue. We do serve meat or chicken that is not kosher, but not alongside dairy products. Here’s an example of how that works practically. If a meat meal is being served with bread or potatoes, then rather than serving butter, we serve margarine. If a meal comes out in separate courses, then each course needs to be either dairy or meat. (For example - dairy is OK during the appetizer course, the meat course may be served after all the diary has been cleared, and then dairy can be served at the dessert course once all the meat dishes have been removed.) So many of you might be wondering, “Why does God care about the food that we eat?” At a spiritual level, the laws of kashrut are intended to ensure that we treat animals for consumption as humanely as possible. They also encourage us to bring an awareness of God into our lives at least 3 times a day. They force us to think about where our food comes from, who has food, and who doesn’t. They remind us to cultivate an attitude of gratitude for our food and to remember to share our bounty with people who are not so fortunate. Being more mindful about our food can enrich and elevate our lives – regardless of the level of traditional kashrut we choose to observe. Rabbi Andrew Klein
To learn more about Rabbi Klein and to read his bio, click here. Temple Habonim |
