Parashat Shemini: The long-awaited moment has finally arrived. All three million people gathered in the courtyard of the newly built sanctuary to inaugurate the house built for God.
It was a day of celebration, but it was also a day of stress and anxiety. Did God forgive them the grave sin of worshiping the golden calf? Was the historic contract signed hundreds of years ago in a faraway land still intact? It was a day full of excitement, anticipation, and excitement.
As the swirling pillar of fire fell on the altar, the whole nation erupted in song and celebration. Declarations of victory and vindication enveloped the rapt audience.
Suddenly, tragedy struck. The two sons of High Priest Aaron were found dead in the sanctuary. Even though they committed only minor offenses, they received harsh and merciless sentences.
All the energy and excitement of the day came to a screeching halt once the body was removed from the sanctuary. The inauguration ceremony was not interrupted, but the atmosphere quickly turned from celebration and joy to melancholy and sadness. Everyone present was speechless. Words cannot explain the shocking deaths of two priests who could only convey the immense joy of the first day of this sanctuary.
Not only were the ordinary people stunned, but Aaron, the father of the two priests, was stunned into silence. He was looking forward to this day for catharsis, hoping to overcome his guilt over his involvement in the calf tragedy. Far from finding closure, Aaron faced the tragedy of losing both of his sons. In a heroic moment of stoic obedience, Aaron remained silent.
His steely silence is one of the most thunderous moments in the entire Torah. In the case of perceived divine injustice, the only recourse one has is to guard one’s tongue and surrender to the mysteries of God. This is a test similar to Aaron’s Akedah, the bondage of Isaac, but he did not fall short.
In the aftermath of this tragedy, God was silent and no explanation was given for the harsh sentence. Moses offered a philosophical perspective on this tragedy, but God himself was silent. No explanation or justification was given for the severe and horrific punishments.
Although God did not directly address this tragedy, he established an important law for Judaism. Almost immediately after the tragedy, kosher food laws were enacted. The Torah contains a long and comprehensive list of prohibited and permitted animals. [to eat]. The Torah describes animals’ hooves and digestive tracts in detail to distinguish between kosher and non-kosher animals.
Clearly, the laws of kosher food represent a coping mechanism for tragedy. Jewish dietary laws offer an answer to the dark clouds of tragedy that have enveloped the nation in sadness.
turn to spirituality
Often in the aftermath of a tragedy, people turn away from materialism and towards inwardness and spirituality. Spirituality gives us hope and optimism in dark times, reminding us of a larger story beyond our narrow and frustrating predicaments.
Moreover, tragedy exposes us to the fragility and vulnerability of the human condition. When faced with mortality, we veer from temporary experience to eternity and then to the infinite. Our unchanging values and long-term vision speak to us even more powerfully in the wake of a mysterious disaster.
The experience of keeping kosher stimulates a greater balance between materialism and spirituality. In theory, kosher laws limit food choices, but in modern times, when kosher foods are widely available, we rarely experience such restrictions. But beyond specific restrictions, kosher law frames our general attitude toward food. By adjusting our diet, we can better maintain a healthy balance between physical experiences and spiritual pursuits.
In the wake of this devastating tragedy, this grieving nation desperately needed a framework of action that de-emphasized material gratification and encouraged spirituality. At this point, the injured country was able to follow a regime of food restrictions.
After October 7 Spirituality
Our current national tragedy has forced us to turn inward and toward the world of spirituality. On October 6th, our country was very entrepreneurial. We achieved incredible economic success and were the world’s technology darling as an emerging nation. Economic success is certainly an important strategic asset, which has allowed us to build a strong defense force and open many diplomatic doors. However, our material success came at the expense of our spirit and spirituality.
Perhaps war will help us maintain a healthier balance between material success and spirituality. We are fighting an enemy who does not care much about the material well-being of its people. They continue to inflict pain and suffering on innocent citizens in order to gain public support. However, they are highly spiritual and deeply committed to larger goals, even scary ones.
It is impossible to defeat an idea without a stronger idea. Weapons, tanks, and drones cannot defeat the spirit. Only spirit can overcome spirit. If we do not tap into our own spirituality, we will not be able to achieve the decisive victory for which we are desperately fighting.
Kosher “community”
There is a second reason why the Torah introduced the concept of kosher food in response to overwhelming tragedy.
When faced with tragedy, people turn inward to spirituality, but they also turn outward to community. On a purely practical level, communities provide logistical and moral support in times of crisis. Furthermore, by sharing our feelings with those who share our hardships, we feel validated and feel less alone.
Communities not only provide practical help, but also give us an overall sense of belonging. Belonging to a larger community comforts us in difficult moments. We find comfort in being part of a larger group of people who share a common experience and destiny.
The kosher diet creates a strong framework for Jewish communal identity. Providing kosher food often requires greater communal resources. Additionally, eating is a highly social experience, and the people we eat with become our innate social community. Kosher food is an internal mechanism to ensure strong communal bonds among Jews.
By introducing kosher food laws in the aftermath of a terrible tragedy, the Torah encourages us to build strong communities and draw strength and solace from our collective identity in times of crisis. . Not only from contemporary communities, but also from past intergenerational communities. It is powerful and affirming to know that despite different historical periods, different cultures, and different cuisines, we have all cooked meat the same way and avoided mixing meat with milk. . Kosher food emphasizes a sense of belonging to a community and provides us with a response to unexplained tragedy.
After October 7 Common Identity
Over the past few months, we have faced death, grief, and frustration. Many of our greatest hopes and dreams have been dashed, and it can be difficult to see a clear path forward. As people of faith, we see darkness and envision a bright future ordained by God.
As we face this crisis, we must strengthen our faith and our community. During the war, we tore away so many layers of identity that divided Jews in Israel and divided Israelis and Jews abroad. The war was reductive, stripping away the exterior of Jewish identity and exposing the common core that unites all Jews. It brought us together, but it also strengthened our communal identity.
As the month of Jewish history is about to begin, let us turn to our inner spiritual world. We also honor our great nation, those with whom we fight for Jewish history, those who came before us who paved this path, and those of us who will one day tell our stories. Let’s look at the people after us.
The author is Rabbi Heder Yeshiva of Yeshivat Har Etzion/Gash. He earned his smicha and his bachelor’s degree in computer science from Yeshiva University and his master’s degree in English literature from the City University of New York.He is the author of a soon to be published book Dark clouds above, faith below (Kodesh Press, April 2024), offers a religious response to the October 7 massacre and the war that followed.
