Why don't people follow the Torah/Kashrut?

This week's parsha, Shmini (Vayikra 9:1-11:47), makes many daily activities pre-ordained down to the finest detail. One such activity is eating. The laws concerning food and its consumption take up much space in our Torah, with this parsha being the first time real rules for said consumption are handed down. We are commanded in which animals to eat and which to avoid, as they are abominations for us! Yet how did these seemingly arbitrary decisions regarding our stomach contents come about, and in the desert, no less? More importantly, if God wasn't human, how could God honestly make such important decisions about something we spend much of our lives doing, thinking about, or preparing?

First and for most, we must remember that these were ordinances handed down by God. For that very reason, we cannot just throw them out the window (one of my students asked today why people don't believe in Torah or Kashrut!). God's authority is too important, even to those who may not observe all of God's precepts, to simply ignore EVERYTHING. As food is one of those universally attended to things, its one of the aspects of the Torah that is considered even by people who don't consider the Torah to be the word of God and the law by which they must live their lives.

So what of these animals that we are allowed to eat, and which are forbidden? We can have animals with cloven hooves which chew their cud. We can have animals of the sea with fins and scales. We cannot have winged, swarming things that walk on fours. And the Torah specifics which birds we cannot have. Examples of each category are provided.

But wait, why? Why should you bother listening, reading, continuing to care about this? That was exactly what one of my kids asked, but in a slightly different way. We were explaining what Kashrut is (if you can figure out how to simply explain Kashrut without getting into too many details, you will gain my unyielding respect), and talking about the fact that some people keep Kashrut and some don't. Usually the ones that keep it wear a Kippah and are considered to be dati (religious). (Interesting that in Israel, if you're "religious" you keep Kosher. In America, most Jews I know, whether observant on a regular basis or not, keep some semblance of Kashrut.)

Anyway, one of our kids stops the teacher and asks: "But why do people not believe in Kashrut or the Torah?"

We all stopped and looked at him in shock. First of all, this is a difficult question to answer in any language. Second of all, the amount of insight it takes to ask a question like that is incredibly deep.

Both the teacher and I started to answer, but she quickly deferred to me. I began with one answer, saying that sometimes people don't believe that the Torah came directly from God, so they don't feel the need to follow that word to the letter. However, I wanted to do justice to different perspectives, and didn't know how to say it. Even though the teacher said I could say in English and she would explain, I didn't have the words in English either. One of the other aides suggested that a reason for not following Kashrut was that it is too hard. The number of restrictions it places on one's life, the way it describes exactly what one must do and how, feels overbearing and not at all like something that is easy to follow.

I'll admit that I personally have struggled with the idea of Kashrut. Growing up, we didn't have separate dishes and we ate mashed potatoes (with butter) with our steak. As I got older, I stopped eating red meat and now do not mix milk and meat. Now I only eat Kosher meat if I buy it. In my own home, I want two sets of dishes. For me, it is about those around me, my friends and family, feeling comfortable eating in my house. But I have to say my curiosity is peaked when I wonder what the actual restrictions are all about?

Are they because at the time the Torah was given to Moses, the unkosher animals were also the unhealthy or unclean ones? Was it another way to distinguish between the Jews and the non-Jews, making sure that Jews stayed in their own communities (it is easier to eat a certain way and ensure that it is maintained if everyone else around also does that). Is this another way for God to demonstrate God's dominion over God's people? Truthfully, I don't have an answer. I'm not sure that an answer must be reached. Although many people have difficulty accepting something without reason, maybe that is the whole point of Kashrut. Maybe it's another one of those things that we have to accept on faith. It may even be beneficial in the long run!

Therefore, in the coming week, consider how you eat. You don't need to start keeping strict biblical Kosher, but maybe be mindful of how you eat and what you are eating. Be thankful for it. take your time in processing it.

Shabbat Shalom!