This week, I shared the origins of the kosher laws, why certain animals are kosher and how keeping kosher can impact your life. For those who observe the laws, it’s my hope you may have a deeper understanding of them. Equally important, it’s my hope if you are not observing the dietary laws you are motivated to incorporate some of them into your life. — Rabbi Woznica Kosher: Give it a try? Consider beginning by omitting Biblically prohibited foods such as pork, shellfish, and milk and meat in the same meal. It’s a significant step for those embarking on a kosher lifestyle.  And if you currently observe this level of kashrut, consider only eating kosher meat inside, and/or outside of your home. Another important option is a vegetarian diet. I suggest committing to the new diet for at least a few months. Typically, it takes time to adapt and to [...]

With the New Year approaching Rabbi David Woznica offers a twist on the popular resolution of beginning a diet. This week he offers inquiries into Torah teachings that elevate the act of eating. Here are his thoughts about this spiritual diet. What’s the Big Deal about Cheeseburgers? Three times the Torah legislates “You shall not seethe a kid in its mother’s milk” (Exodus 23:19, 34:26 and Deuteronomy 14:21). This law has been understood to prohibit having milk products and meat in the same meal and why there’s a waiting period between eating them. Why? Maimonides suggests it was the custom of idolaters to prepare baby goat (kid) in that fashion and Judaism consistently distanced Jews from idolater’s practices. The explanation that I find most compelling is that of Rabbi Jacob Milgrom who explained milk represents life (what a mother feeds her young) and the substance sustaining life “should not be [...]

With the New Year approaching Rabbi David Woznica offers a twist on the popular resolution of beginning a diet. This week he offers inquiries into Torah teachings that elevate the act of eating. Here are his thoughts about this spiritual diet. Why Keep Kosher:Which Animals are Kosher and Why? The Torah mandates that for fish to be kosher, it must have fins and scales (Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14). That is why salmon and tuna are kosher and shellfish (shrimp, crab, scallops, lobster) are out of bounds. Kosher land animals are those with a cleft hoof and chew their cud—making cow, sheep, and goat kosher—while pig, rabbit and horse are not. For fowl (birds) to be kosher, they cannot be birds of prey. It’s noteworthy with the exception of fish, all kosher animals are herbivorous (vegetarian). Therefore, a Jew is not to eat an animal that has taken the life [...]

With the New Year approaching Rabbi David Woznica offers a twist on the popular resolution of beginning a diet. This week he offers inquiries into Torah teachings that elevate the act of eating. Here are his thoughts about this spiritual diet. Why Keep Kosher: The Origin of Kosher While “keeping kosher” has been central to Jewish identity, few areas of Jewish life are filled with more misconceptions than the dietary laws. Many Jews, for example, believe the reason for forbidding the eating of pork is to protect from trichinosis. You won’t find such rationale in the Torah. In Leviticus and Deuteronomy, however, the Torah does associate kashrut with one underlying theme, holiness. At the core of kashrut is the distinction between which animals are permissible for a Jew to eat and which are prohibited. The Torah considers three main categories of animals: meat, fowl, and fish and indicates which are, [...]