Kashrut: Why should I bother? – Sh’mini
This week’s Torah portion is full of the food laws, though some people argue that kashrut makes life difficult. It’s much easier to eat and drink everything and ignore kashrut.
But hard or easy isn’t the real criterion. The question isn’t “Why should I bother?” but “Why shouldn’t I bother?”
There are three basic human desires – sex, money and food. Instead of “I want!”, the Jewish principle is, “What’s good for me?” “What’s good” entails discipline and control.
Judaism says, “It’s not that I’m not tempted – but what can I do, seeing that My Heavenly Father has forbidden it!”
Keeping kosher is one of the regulators of self-discipline. Not only that, but it reminds us of our Jewishness at every moment and brings God into every decision we make.
The name “God” is connected with the word “good”. God’s will ought to be the criterion of what is or isn’t good.
