Thinking Torah Blog

There are many ways to categorize the mitzvot in the Torah, positive and negative, between people and God or people and people; commandments that apply only in the Land of Israel and those that apply everywhere are just some of the ways commandments are discussed in rabbinic literature. Another classic categorization is between Chuk and Mishpat. Both words mean “law,” but our sages distinguish between them by saying that chuk are commandments whose reasons are indiscernible to human beings. We keep these commandments because God says so. Mishpat, on the other hand, are commandments that we have a rational understanding of. For instance, we rationally understand the prohibition against murder, while the laws on kashrut (keeping kosher), which are addressed in this week’s Torah portion, Shmini, have no clear, rational understanding. Of course, over the years, people have tried to rationalize the kosher laws; we’ve probably all heard the claim that keeping kosher is healthier, and Israelites realized that pork could make you sick, for instance. Many theories exist, but we can’t be sure they are the real reasons for the kosher laws. All we know is that we are commanded not to eat certain types of animals.  

While I have my theories for the kosher laws, I think a broader frame is more important than any attempt to understand why we can eat one animal and not another. When I travel, I eat whatever the locals eat. If one wants to get to know a culture, there is no way to do that without eating the local cuisine. Foodways are fundamentally linked to culture. Even without keeping strict kosher, some foods help define us as Jews. Those foods may differ depending on where our families come from, but I doubt any of us have to think too hard to come up with a uniquely Jewish food. Food sets us apart and distinguishes us from each other; it is not that a particular food is good (brisket) and another is bad (pork chops), but that certain foodways help define a culture. Whether you keep kosher or not, I bet your family has Jewish foodways. As your rabbi, I would encourage you to think about what you eat and why you eat it, hoping that what you put in your mouth next might more deeply connect you to Judaism and our people.