Sh'mini

Passover is over - some of you may have eaten differently during this holiday - matzo instead of bread, matzo brei instead of French toast.  Some families may have completely changed what they cooked and ate during Passover, using different utensils as well as serving different foods.
This week's parasha, Sh'mini, has a lot of information about which animals are considered kosher - and which are not.  There are no reasons given, just names of animals, birds and insects that are permitted and that are not.

• Today there is a lot of attention paid to what we eat and how it affects us - some people eat only organically grown food, some eat only things grown locally, and so on.  How do you decide what to eat and what not to eat?
• When Antiochus ruled the land of Israel as representative of the Syrian/Greek empire, one of the things he outlawed was eating kosher food (he also outlawed circumcision, study of Torah, and observing Shabbat).  Why do you think he chose to forbid kosher food?
• If you know someone who follows the rules of kashrut, ask that person why.  Does the answer make sense to you?  Do you think religion should be a factor in what you eat?  Explain your answer.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Be sure to share your answers by commenting on this blog