Ask The Question, Part 3

We ran out of time for a number of questions asked in worship on May 14^th. Here is the third installment on responses to those questions. 

What is the purpose of the complicated dietary restrictions of Orthodox Jews and Muslims?   

The dietary code of Judaism, Kashrut, is one of the pillars of Jewish religious life and virtually every aspect of eating and preparing food implicates some Jewish dietary law.  The dietary code of Islam distinguishes between  halāl, lawful, and harām, unlawful, foods; these laws have both similarities and differences from Kashrut, but is equally important to the followers of Islam.

Why?  By following a specific dietary code, one is forced to remember to act out one’s faith every day. By following a specific dietary code – especially when interacting with others who are not of the same faith tradition – the believer makes a public statement about their faith and its importance to the believer. The dietary codes of a religion turn a mundane act of everyday existence into a holy and reverent act of worship.

How these laws and codes came into existence is up for debate.  It may be that  these codes came into existence for health reasons; certainly the bottom feeders of the waters (shellfish, lobsters, scale-less fish), or the flesh of animals that eat carrion (pigs, vultures) – all forbidden by Kashrut – might pose a danger for the consumer, the allowed beef or goat can just as easily carry tapeworm or other parasites.  It may be that some of these codes were developed to promote ritual purity; the food eaten by the believer might bring the source-animal’s impure spirit into the consumer. 

For those who follow these dietary restrictions, the reason the holy writings mandate these are less important.  The Quran and the Torah state that they are the ways of their respective faiths; law is law and is to be followed as faithfully as possible. And so they do.

What constant reminder of your faith do you need to keep you seeing all of life through the eyes of God?  What discipline do you use to keep you ever mindful of the commandment to love God with all your heart, mind, and strength and your neighbor as yourself?  Do you have a daily discipline to prompt your faithfulness?