7 min read
GOOD MORNING! In this day and age, most Jews do not keep Kosher. Why not? Is it because we are more knowledgeable than our forbearers the past 3,000 years? Do we know what they knew, weighed the information and concluded that keeping Kosher is out? Or, was it a slide away from observance over the years and over the generations due to getting along in a modern world? I am betting that 99.9% of us will answer - if we are truthful - that it's the latter case. We don't know what our ancestors knew and we are comfortable doing what we are doing.
What could possibly motivate us to keep Kosher? Well, if we really knew that there is a God who gave us the Torah and that we have a covenant with Him to keep the Torah (which includes Kashruth!) -- it would probably motivate some people. Then again, I can hear the response -- "What? You want me to buy new dishes, pots and pans ... and two sets? Are you nuts? Do you realize how difficult it would be to keep Kosher? The changes to my kitchen and to my lifestyle?" Everything in life has a cost. The only question is if one believes that the payoff is worth the investment. A person is going to do what a person wants to do.
What if keeping Kosher would help ensure that your children marry someone Jewish and that you would have Jewish grandchildren? Would that be motivating? What if it were healthier, enhanced spirituality, increased personal discipline, inculcated moral values? Would that intrigue you to look further? Perhaps the following benefits from and understandings of keeping Kosher will be food for thought:
If you disagree with these understandings and benefits, you would likely be able to find in history some great rabbi who was on your side. But that same rabbi would agree with every other great rabbi that the real reason we eat Kosher is because God commanded us to do so in the Torah He gave to the Jewish people and that we, the Jewish people, bound ourselves to God in a covenant to keep the commandments of that Torah.
If you are curious to understanding why we believe in God and why we believe that God gave us the same Torah as we have now, I suggest Permission to Believe and Permission to Receive by Lawrence Keleman. If you want to know more about Kashruth, I recommend The Kosher Kitchen by Rabbi Ze'ev Greenwald; it is a user-friendly, practical and illustrated guide that eliminates the mystery and confusion. All three books are available from your local Jewish book store or by calling toll-free 877-758-3242.
The prime directive of the Torah is that the Almighty does not want us to become neurotics. If one wants to upgrade his observance of the Torah, he must do it in intelligent, calculated steps. Just as a parent loves the first steps of his toddler, the Almighty treasures our steps towards fulfilling his Torah. Do what you can do with thoughts of doing even more. This is the sane approach in coming closer to the Almighty and fulfilling his commandments.
Torah
Portion of the Week
Va'eira
Here begins the story of the Ten Plagues which God put upon the Egyptians not only to effect the release of the Jewish people from bondage, but to show the world that He is the God of all of creation and history. The first nine plagues are divisible into three groups: (1) the water turning to blood, frogs, lice (2) wild beasts, pestilence/epidemic, boils (3) hail, locust, and darkness.
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch explains that these were punishments measure for measure for afflicting the Jewish people with slavery. The first of each group reduced Egyptians in their own land to the insecurity of strangers, the second of each group robbed them of pride, possessions and a sense of superiority; the third in each group imposed physical suffering.
Dvar Torah
based on LGrowth Through Torah by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin
The Torah states, "And Moshe and Aharon did as the Almighty commanded them. So they did." (Exodus 7:6). Why does the Torah say "So they did" when they did not yet do what the Almighty commanded them to do? Only later would they approach Pharaoh on behalf of the Jewish people.
Rabbi Yosef Karo, author of the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Laws), comments that their sincere acceptance to do the Almighty's will is considered as if they actually followed through and took action.
Our lesson: When we sincerely plan to do a Mitzvah (commandment), feel the joy of doing it. Just planning without taking action will not accomplish very much. When we feel joy in positive planning, we will be motivated to take action. The joy of actually doing the Mitzvah will be even greater because of our anticipation of performing it. This joy is a manifestation of our appreciation of the opportunities to fulfill the Almighty's commandments and will increase the amount of Mitzvot we do.
CANDLE LIGHTING - January 11:
(or go to http://aish.com/candlelighting)
Jerusalem 4:18
Guatemala 5:32 Hong Kong 5:39 Honolulu 5:50
J'Burg 6:47 London 3:56 Los Angeles 4:45
Melbourne 8:27 Miami 5:31 Moscow 4:03
New York 4:31 Singapore 6:56
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
The greatest mistake is:
fearing to make one.
With Special Thanks to |