[Jewish] [Mindful Torah] VERY belated post for Parshat Shemini

[Rabbi Steven Nathan]

Dear friends-
I must apologize for this post being so late. I could give you all the
reasons, but I don't want to bore you. So I hope you still find this
post meaningful. And it will always be here when Shemini roles around
next year!
Shavua Tov (a good week),
Steven

This week’s Torah portion is Shemini (Vayikra/Leviticus 9:1 - 11:47).
Most of the final chapter of the parashah contains the rules concerning
which
animals are fit for consumption by the Israelites and which are not.
This
list is still the basis for the laws of kashrut (keeping kosher) to this
day.

For centuries, various rabbis and commentators have attempted to
explain the
reasoning behind these laws, as well as the other laws of kashrut. Some
have made the case that they were created for medical reasons. Others
say
that they were created in order to keep the Jewish people separate as a
community.
Still others believe that these laws are beyond human understanding and
we
simply must obey them because “God said so.”

Another interesting interpretation is provided by the Hassidic rebbe
Levi
Yitzhak of Berditchev. He wrote a complicated interpretation connecting
various verses in Torah and the Prophets with the introduction to the
laws found in this week's parashah. This verse begins with the words,
“God spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them …” According to Levi
Yitzhak, “saying to them” refers to the fact that in the future “God is
destined to speak with [all] the Jews, [and so] it is not fitting that
the mouth which will speak with God should now eat forbidden foods.”

This interpretation raises an age-old question that has been addressed
by people as disparate as Jesus, Maimonides and Mordecai M. Kaplan (the
founder of Reconstructionism). Simply put: “is it more important what
goes into your mouth or what comes out of your mouth?” Yet, this
question in and of itself overly simplifies a complex issue. It is not
merely a question of whether the words that come out of our mouth are
more important than the food that enters the body through it. For both
arevimportant, if not essential, to leaving a spiritual and meaningful
life.

I don’t think I need to explain to anyone why we need to be careful
with our speech. We all know too well that words can wound as well as
heal. Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words can truly hurt
us! We must do our best to praise God and God’s creation through all
that we say and do. At all times we must try to speak words of caring,
compassion and mercy rather than suspicion, hatred and criticism. We
must be mindful of what is about to come out of our mouth before it
leaves us so we can stop damaging speech whenever possible. Of course,
none of us is perfect, but the more mindful we are of each thought that
arises the more likely we are to stop our negative thoughts from being
transformed into negative speech.

However, it is not as easy to make a case for what goes into our mouth
if one is committed to not simply relating this to issues of physical
health and well being. For if cholesterol, high blood pressure,
diabetes, weight, etc. were not issues why
should we care what we put into our bodies?

The answer Levi Yitzhak provides is that we should care because these
same mouths will some day speak with God. Yet, we all have the
potential to hear the voice of God and speak to God at any given
moment. Therefore, the time of which Levi Yitzhak spoke is upon us now
and so we must consider his rationale for kashrut at this moment as
well.

In considering his commentary, I must say that it rings true for me.
The idea that we should keep our mouths “clean” and “holy” because we
will be using them to speak with God is a powerful one. However, it is
an idea that I also believe is limited. For it is not only what goes
into our mouth that determines our fitness to speak with God, but what
comes out of it and what we allow to enter our souls through
our ears. We must be conscious and mindful of how we use or abuse our
entire body if we are to prepare ourselves for a conversation with God.

When I am on a silent meditation retreat, I have the opportunity to be
mindful of each move I make, each sensation that I feel, each sound
that I hear and each morsel of food that I place in my mouth. I can do
this because there is total silence. The only noise that prevents me
from being mindful is the noise in my mind and the noise that is
produced by my ego and its various desires and the tricks it likes to
play on me.

In every day life, this is not so simple, since we also have more
external distractions. Some of these distractions, such as listening to
our children, partners and other loved ones, are what makes life
meaningful. Others, and you can name your own, are what prevent life
from being meaningful or prevent us from hearing the voice of God
within.

Eating is simply one activity in which we participate each day, and yet
it is an essential activity. The concept of saying a berakhah/blessing
before eating helps to remind us that the food we eat is a gift from
God. A berakhah also reminds us that the food is entering the body of a
human being created in the image of God and, according to Levi Yitzhak,
who has the potential to hear and speak to God. Eating food that is
harmful to the body or rushing through meals so that we don’t even
taste what we are eating in some way profanes the holiness of our
bodies and our souls. In truth, it has the same effect as speaking or
paying attention to harmful words.

In viewing speech through this lens, it seems clear that eating in a
mindful way can help us to connect with our innate holiness just as
much as taking care with our speech, our listening, and our physical
actions. In this way, I agree wholeheartedly with Levi Yitzhak.

However, I don’t disagree with him when it comes to the implicit
assumption that obeying the laws of kashrut is the only way of eating
in a holy and mindful way. Nor do I believe that the list of permitted
animals found in this week's reading is the only or the most accurate
list of what constitutes “forbidden food” that might separate us from
holiness.

For some, the traditional laws serve this purpose. For others,
vegetarianism becomes their form of mindful, holy eating. Others commit
themselves to eating only organic food and/or free range food as their
form of holy eating. For others it is making sure that the dishes,
utensils and packaging are as friendly to the environment as possible.
Any and all of these can be forms of holy eating.

Therefore, I agree with the concept expressed in the Torah and in the
commentary, but I do not accept its limitations. For we have no idea
why specific animals were chosen to be considered as “improper” or
“forbidden.” There are various theories, medical, anthropological and
spiritual, that have been suggested. Still, in the end, we do not know
if any of them are correct. The only thing we know is that this list is
the same list that our ancestors possessed, and so it connects us to
them. For many who observe traditional dietary restrictions, that is
sufficient. For others it is not.

In the end, what matters most to me is that we each find our own path
to creating a
mindful way of living that acknowledges and addresses the holiness of
our bodies. This must included addressing what we put in , what comes
out and what we do with our bodies. This would include our sexual
ethics as well, which I don't have time to address here. This is a way
for us to create a meaningful kashrut that is rooted in the values of
our tradition and yet expresses our own contemporary values and beliefs
as well. If we try our best to be mindful of this each moment and live
our lives accordingly, then we will hopefully be prepared to hear God’s
voice and to speak to God in every moment of our lives.

--
Posted By Rabbi Steven Nathan to Mindful Torah at 4/12/2010 10:56:00 AM
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