Words of Faith: Our food choices are also life choices

On a recent flight returning from overseas, I ordered a kosher meal in advance. My seatmate commented on this with bemusement, asking why I had such fresh-looking broccoli, comparing it to his rather pallid tray of glutinous pasta and rubbery chicken.

“It’s a kosher meal,” I said.

We spent the next hour talking about food, the “Orange is the New Black” Netflix streaming series and not so much about religious choices. But, choices about food and other everyday activities are surely influenced by faith, are they not?

Living is about making choices. There are mundane, daily choices: what we wear, the best route to work. There are larger choices about ethics and values; whistle-blowing at work, cheating on a partner. And there are daily choices that reflect our larger values. For many Jews and Muslims, the “what’s for lunch?” question requires a completely different level of religious thought and choice. Do you keep kosher, or halal? Both of those choices take into consideration faith and God’s commandments when considering what and how to eat.

What is kosher? The translation for kasher is fit or proper. Kosher has its roots in the rules about animal care and eating found in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. In the Torah, food is divided into three main groups: meat, neutral (or pareve) and dairy. Within those broad categories, the Torah outlines additional injunctions. Eating the meat of any animal which does not have both cloven hooves and chew cud is ruled out. So, no bacon for those keeping strictly kosher. While fish is not considered meat, it may be eaten with meat, but one may not eat fish which do not have scales. That rules out crustaceans and shellfish.

In their natural state, fruits, vegetables and grains are pareve, (neutral) kosher and great to eat with any meal.

There is one last large division of food, outlined in Exodus, where God forbade “boiling a (kid) goat in its mother’s milk.” This has evolved into the separation of meat from dairy in the same meal. In other words, no cheeseburgers.

This may sound like a lot of “thou shalt not.” It is and it is not. It depends on the why, does it not? Even if keeping kosher is not an all or nothing choice, why would one keep kosher? Many Jews keep kosher to different levels, determined by conscience and personal relationships with God. And those levels of observance are many; some Jews keep kosher only during Passover. Others may forgo pork but eat shrimp. Many Orthodox Jews follow the vast majority of kosher rules. Each level is observant, in their own way, making their choices thoughtfully.

Each person is living Jewishly, determined by their relationship with God.

Some folks attribute ancient kosher rules to food safety, but truly, that is not a valid reason for keeping kosher currently. Many Jews observe a level of kosher as way of reminding themselves of their holy conversation with God. It is one way of being mindful of our relationship with God, perhaps similar to wearing a cross, or the Star of David. But, food choices are more deeply pervasive. It’s nourishment, and more, “you are what you eat.”

And in the South, abstaining from pork barbeque can be a trial with ample opportunity to re-examine your choices.

So, what does it mean to keep kosher? As humorist and Rabbi Jack Moline commented, “Everyone who keeps kosher will tell you that his version is the only correct version. Everyone else is either a fanatic or a heretic.” Perhaps food choices are like art – in the eye of the beholder. Our choice, every day, on how to live our beliefs. What choices do you make, each day, in your conversation with God?

This story was originally published July 31, 2015 at 3:48 PM with the headline "Words of Faith: Our food choices are also life choices."