אני קושית יפה/I’m a Cute Black Girl Pg 54

And so we are embarking on the days of the Holiest Festivals of Judaism .

  on the 25th of September we say goodbye to Elul 5872 and celebrate the new year and month Tishrei 5783

 which happens just about a week later. 25hrs of fasting.

Throughout the year I have noticed how many of the women in Shul, particularly the Rabbis have worn Kippot and Tallit in shul and I wanted to know if we, us converted women, would be expected to once we have converted. The Rabbi told me how it is our choice in the end but they would prefer us to experience wearing the dressings, particularly for graduation. Before I was not very pro it; having grown up in an Orthodox community and and those dressings being reserved only for men. But now I am thinking about it. I thought at first about just asking my father if I could borrow his tallit for graduation, but maybe I would like my own one. I mean I am after all gathering my own Jewish Traditional and Religious Items.

    

 

     Blessed are You, L-rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to enwrap ourselves in Tzitzit.

So for asking this question, that has bothered me for some time the Rabbi gave me a set of Orthodox Siddurim for the Holy Festivals and which will be very helpful when I begin working on my new assignment.

 

 

Last night we started learning about Kashrut and where it all stems from and how Progressive Judaism looks at it now. Some of the writings on Kashrut can be very confusing and sometimes makes you wonder what were they eating in Biblical times.

There are many reasons why we are meant to keep Kosher and why certain laws were made.

TEXT 1: DEUTERONOMY 14:3-8
ג ל ֹא ת ֹאכַל, כָּל-ּתֹועֵ בָּ ה.
3 Thou shalt not eat any TEXT 1: DEUTERONOMY 14:3-8
ג ל ֹא ת ֹאכַל, כָּל-ּתֹועֵ בָּ ה.
3 Thou shalt not eat any abominable
thing.

the idea of having any evil spirits from one being, being transferred into my body does put me off that food, but what would you consider to have evil spirits in it. I mean it isn’t like I know what has been in the steak that I buy from Woolworths or eat a Restaurant.

ד ז ֹאת הַ בְּ הֵ מָּ ה, אֲ שֶׁ ר
ּת ֹאכֵלּו: שֹור, שֵ ה כְּ שָּ בִ ים וְּ שֵ ה
עִ זִ ים.
4 These are the beasts which ye may
eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,
ה אַ יָּל ּוצְּ בִ י, וְּ יַחְּ מּור; וְּ אַ ּקֹו
וְּ דִ ישֹן, ּותְּ אֹו וָּזָּמֶׁ ר. 

5 the hart, and the gazelle, and the
roebuck, and the wild goat, and the
pygarg, and the antelope, and the
mountain-sheep.
ו וְּ כָּל-בְּ הֵ מָּ ה מַ פְּ רֶׁ סֶׁ ת פַרְּ סָּ ה,
וְּ שֹסַ עַ ת שֶׁ סַ ע שְּ ּתֵ י פְּ רָּ סֹות,
מַ עֲלַת גֵרָּ ה, בַ בְּ הֵ מָּ ה–אֹתָּ ּה,
ּת ֹאכֵלּו.
6 And every beast that parteth the
hoof, and hath the hoof wholly
cloven in two, and cheweth the cud,
among the beasts, that ye may eat.
ז אַ ְך אֶׁ ת-זֶׁה ל ֹא ת ֹאכְּ לּו,
מִ מַ עֲלֵי הַ גֵרָּ ה, ּומִ מַ פְּ רִ יסֵ י
הַ פַרְּ סָּ ה, הַ שְּ סּועָּ ה: אֶׁ ת-הַ גָּמָּ ל
וְּ אֶׁ ת-הָּ אַ רְּ נֶׁבֶׁ ת וְּ אֶׁ ת-הַ שָּ פָּן כִ י-
מַ עֲלֵה גֵרָּ ה הֵ מָּ ה, ּופַרְּ סָּ ה ל ֹא
הִ פְּ רִ יסּו–טְּ מֵ אִ ים הֵ ם, לָּכֶׁם.

I like it when the writings are being more precise.

7 Nevertheless these ye shall not eat
of them that only chew the cud, or of
them that only have the hoof cloven:
the camel, and the hare, and the rockbadger, because they chew the cud
but part not the hoof, they are
unclean unto you;
ח וְּ אֶׁ ת-הַ חֲ זִ יר כִ י-מַ פְּ רִ יס
פַרְּ סָּ ה הּוא, וְּ ל ֹא גֵרָּ ה–טָּ מֵ א
הּוא, לָּכֶׁם; מִ בְּ שָּ רָּ ם ל ֹא ת ֹאכֵלּו,
ּובְּ נִבְּ לָּתָּ ם ל ֹא תִ גָּעּו. }ס{
8 and the swine, because he parteth
the hoof but cheweth not the cud, he
is unclean unto you; of their flesh ye
shall not eat, and their carcasses ye
shall not touch.

Well as long as I could help it; I have never eaten Pork.

TEXT 2: DEUTERONOMY 14:11-18
.eat may ye birds clean all Of 11 יא כָּל-צִ פֹור טְּ הֹרָּ ה, ּת ֹאכֵלּו.
יב וְּ זֶׁה, אֲ שֶׁ ר ל ֹא-ת ֹאכְּ לּו
מֵ הֶׁ ם: הַ נֶׁשֶׁ ר וְּ הַ פֶׁרֶׁ ס,
וְּ הָּ עָּ זְּ נִיָּה.
12 But these are they of which ye shall
not eat: the great vulture, and the
bearded vulture, and the ospray;
יג וְּ הָּ רָּ אָּ ה, וְּ אֶׁ ת-הָּ אַ יָּה,
וְּ הַ דַ יָּה, לְּמִ ינָּּה.
13 and the glede, and the falcon, and
the kite after its kinds;
;kinds its after raven every and 14 יד וְּ אֵ ת כָּל-עֹרֵ ב, לְּמִ ינֹו.
טו וְּ אֵ ת בַ ת הַ יַעֲנָּה, וְּ אֶׁ ת-
הַ ּתַ חְּ מָּ ס וְּ אֶׁ ת-הַ שָּ חַ ף; וְּ אֶׁ ת-
הַ נֵץ, לְּמִ ינֵהּו.
15 and the ostrich, and the night-hawk,
and the sea-mew, and the hawk after its
kinds;
טז אֶׁ ת-הַ כֹוס וְּ אֶׁ ת-הַ יַנְּשּוף,
וְּ הַ ּתִ נְּשָּ מֶׁ ת.
16 the little owl, and the great owl, and
the horned owl;
יז וְּ הַ ּקָּ אָּ ת וְּ אֶׁ ת-הָּ רָּ חָּ מָּ ה,
וְּ אֶׁ ת-הַ שָּ לְָּך.
17 and the pelican, and the carrionvulture, and the cormorant;
יח וְּ הַ חֲ סִ ידָּ ה, וְּ הָּ אֲ נָּפָּה
לְּ מִ ינָּּה; וְּ הַ דּוכִ יפַת, וְּ הָּ עֲטַ לֵף.
18 and the stork, and the heron after its
kinds, and the hoopoe, and the bat.

Last night in class we touched a bit on how we shouldn’t eat any predators. We didn’t get to a conclusion of why we thought Hashem didn’t want us to, but just had a thought about how the little winged scary thing below is kinda the cause for the many lost lives the world had over the past few years and for all the terror and isolation and mask wearing and sanitizing we have had to do and still have to to,

TEXT 3: LEVITICUS 11:9-12
ט אֶׁ ת-זֶׁה, ּת ֹאכְּ לּו, מִ כֹל,
אֲ שֶׁ ר בַ מָּ יִם: כֹל אֲ שֶׁ ר-לֹו
סְּ נַפִ יר וְּ קַ שְּ קֶׁ שֶׁ ת בַ מַ יִם,
בַ יַמִ ים ּובַ נְּחָּ לִים–אֹתָּ ם
ּת ֹאכֵלּו.
9 These may ye eat of all that are in the
waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in
the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers,
them may ye eat.
י וְּ כֹל אֲ שֶׁ ר אֵ ין-לֹו סְּ נַפִ יר
וְּ קַ שְּ קֶׁ שֶׁ ת, בַ יַ מִ ים ּובַ נְּחָּ לִים,
מִ כֹל שֶׁ רֶׁ ץ הַ מַ יִם, ּומִ כֹל נֶׁפֶׁש
הַ חַ יָּה אֲ שֶׁ ר בַ מָּ יִם–שֶׁ קֶׁ ץ
הֵ ם, לָּכֶׁם.
10 And all that have not fins and scales in
the seas, and in the rivers, of all that
swarm in the waters, and of all the living
creatures that are in the waters, they are a
detestable thing unto you,
יא וְּ שֶׁ קֶׁ ץ, יִהְּ יּו לָּכֶׁם;
מִ בְּ שָּ רָּ ם ל ֹא ת ֹאכֵלּו, וְּ אֶׁ ת-
נִבְּ לָּתָּ ם ּתְּ שַ ּקֵ צּו.
11 and they shall be a detestable thing
unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh,
and their carcasses ye shall have in
detestation.
יב כֹל אֲ שֶׁ ר אֵ ין-לֹו סְּ נַפִ יר
וְּ קַ שְּ קֶׁ שֶׁ ת, בַ מָּ יִם–שֶׁ קֶׁ ץ
הּוא, לָּכֶׁם.
12 Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in
the waters, that is a detestable thing unto
you.

I have always know that Shellfish was not Kosher and in fact regarded to be the same a Pork, but I still chose to eat Shellfish. I guess I just always thought of it as a yummy luxury…

 I will only eat shellfish sushi (because it is the only sushi that has been cooked)

TEXT 4, PART A: LEVITICUS 11:29-31
כט וְּ זֶׁה לָּכֶׁם הַ טָּ מֵ א,
בַ שֶׁ רֶׁ ץ הַ שֹרֵ ץ עַ ל-
הָּ אָּ רֶׁ ץ: הַ חֹלֶׁד וְּ הָּ עַ כְּ בָּ ר,
וְּ הַ צָּ ב לְּמִ ינֵהּו.
29 And these are they which are unclean
unto you among the swarming things that
swarm upon the earth: the weasel, and the
mouse, and the great lizard after its kinds,

I wouldn’t ever be caught cutting into a mouse or lizzard….so I am good with this law!!

ל וְּ הָּ אֲ נָּקָּ ה וְּ הַ כֹחַ ,
וְּ הַ לְּטָּ אָּ ה; וְּ הַ חֹמֶׁ ט,
וְּ הַ ּתִ נְּשָּ מֶׁ ת.
30 and the gecko, and the land-crocodile,
and the lizard, and the sand-lizard, and the
chameleon.
לא אֵ לֶׁה הַ טְּ מֵ אִ ים לָּכֶׁם,
בְּ כָּל-הַ שָּ רֶׁ ץ; כָּל-הַ נֹגֵעַ בָּ הֶׁ ם
בְּ מֹתָּ ם, יִטְּ מָּ א עַ ד-הָּ עָּ רֶׁ ב.
31 These are they which are unclean to you
among all that swarm; whosoever doth
touch them, when they are dead, shall be
unclean until the even.

TEXT 4, PART B: LEVITICUS 11:20-23
כ כֹל שֶׁ רֶׁ ץ הָּ עֹוף, הַ הֹלְֵך עַ ל-
אַ רְּ בַ ע–שֶׁ קֶׁ ץ הּוא, לָּכֶׁם.
20 All winged swarming things that
go upon all fours are a detestable
thing unto you.
כא אַ ְך אֶׁ ת-זֶׁה, ּת ֹאכְּ לּו, מִ כֹל
שֶׁ רֶׁ ץ הָּ עֹוף, הַ הֹלְֵך עַ ל-
אַ רְּ בַ ע: אֲ שֶׁ ר-לא )לֹו( כְּ רָּ עַ יִם
מִ מַ עַ ל לְּרַ גְּ לָּיו, לְּנַּתֵ ר בָּ הֵ ן עַ ל-
הָּ אָּ רֶׁ ץ.
21 Yet these may ye eat of all winged
swarming things that go upon all
fours, which have jointed legs above
their feet, wherewith to leap upon the
earth;
כב אֶׁ ת-אֵ לֶׁה מֵ הֶׁ ם, ּת ֹאכֵלּו–
אֶׁ ת-הָּ אַ רְּ בֶׁ ה לְּמִ ינֹו, וְּ אֶׁ ת-
הַ סָּ לְּעָּ ם לְּמִ ינֵהּו; וְּ אֶׁ ת-הַ חַ רְּ גֹל
לְּמִ ינֵהּו, וְּ אֶׁ ת-הֶׁ חָּ גָּב לְּמִ ינֵהּו.
22 even these of them ye may eat: the
locust after its kinds, and the bald
locust after its kinds, and the cricket
after its kinds, and the grasshopper
after its kinds.

Again you will not see me going all Timon and Pumba with a Leaf platter of insects. 

כג וְּ כֹל שֶׁ רֶׁ ץ הָּ עֹוף, אֲ שֶׁ ר-לֹו
אַ רְּ בַ ע רַ גְּ לָּיִם–שֶׁ קֶׁ ץ הּוא, לָּכֶׁם.
23 But all winged swarming things,
which have four feet, are a detestable
thing unto you.

TEXT 5 Boiling a kid in its mother’s milk
Ex 23:19
רֵ אשִ ית, בִ כּורֵ י אַ דְּ מָּ תְּ ָך, ּתָּ בִ יא, בֵ ית יְּהוָּה אֱ ֹלהֶׁ יָך; ל ֹא-תְּ בַ שֵ ל יט
.גְּ דִ י, בַ חֲ לֵב אִ מֹו
19 The choicest first-fruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the
Eternal thy God. Thou shalt not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.

No mixing milk and meat. Well I have never eaten any    but have mixed meat and milk in many other ways. I know Orthodox wait 6 – 7 hours after eating meat before eating milk. Not sure I would want to do this…but then just go 

TEXT 6 – Sh’chitah – slaughter
Dt 12:20-21
כ כִ י-יַרְּ חִ יב יְּהוָּה אֱ ֹלהֶׁ יָך
אֶׁ ת-גְּ בֻלְָּך, כַאֲ שֶׁ ר דִ בֶׁ ר-לְָּך,
וְּ אָּ מַ רְּ ּתָּ אֹכְּ לָּה בָּ שָּ ר, כִ י-
תְּ אַ ּוֶׁה נַפְּ שְּ ָך לֶׁאֱ כֹל בָּ שָּ ר–
בְּ כָּל-אַ ּוַת נַפְּ שְּ ָך, ּת ֹאכַל
בָּ שָּ ר.
20 When the ETERNAL thy God shall
enlarge thy border, as He hath promised
thee, and thou shalt say: ‘I will eat flesh’,
because thy soul desireth to eat flesh; thou
mayest eat flesh, after all the desire of thy
soul.
כא כִ י-יִרְּ חַ ק מִ מְּ ָך
הַ מָּ קֹום, אֲ שֶׁ ר יִבְּ חַ ר יְּהוָּה
אֱ ֹלהֶׁ יָך לָּשּום שְּ מֹו שָּ ם,
וְּ זָּבַ חְּ ּתָּ מִ בְּ קָּ רְּ ָך ּומִ צ ֹאנְָּך
אֲ שֶׁ ר נָּתַ ן יְּהוָּה לְָּך, כַאֲ שֶׁ ר
צִ ּוִ יתִ ָך–וְּ אָּ כַלְּּתָּ , בִ שְּ עָּ רֶׁ יָך,
בְּ כֹל, אַ ּוַת נַפְּ שֶׁ ָך.
21 If the place which the ETERNAL thy
God shall choose to put His name there be
too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy
herd and of thy flock, which the
ETERNAL hath given thee, as I have
commanded thee, and thou shalt eat within
thy gates, after all the desire of thy soul.
TEXT 7 – not consuming Blood
Dt 12:23-25
כג רַ ק חֲ זַק, לְּבִ לְּּתִ י אֲ כֹל
הַ דָּ ם, כִ י הַ דָּ ם, הּוא הַ נָּפֶׁש;
וְּ ל ֹא-ת ֹאכַל הַ נֶׁפֶׁש, עִ ם-
הַ בָּ שָּ ר.
23 Only be steadfast in not eating the
blood; for the blood is the life; and thou
shalt not eat the life with the flesh.
כד ל ֹא, ּת ֹאכְּ לֶׁנּו: עַ ל-הָּ אָּ רֶׁ ץ
ּתִ שְּ פְּ כֶׁנּו, כַמָּ יִם.

Well goodbye to ‘medium’ steak! Guess it is well done steak now.

24 Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour
it out upon the earth as water.
כה ל ֹא, ּת ֹאכְּ לֶׁנּו–לְּמַ עַ ן יִיטַ ב
לְָּך ּולְּבָּ נֶׁיָך אַ חֲ רֶׁ יָך, כִ י-תַ עֲשֶׁ ה
הַ יָּשָּ ר בְּ עֵ ינֵי יְּהוָּה.
25 Thou shalt not eat it; that it may go
well with thee, and with thy children
after thee, when thou shalt do that which
is right in the eyes of the Eternal
thing.
ד ז ֹאת הַ בְּ הֵ מָּ ה, אֲ שֶׁ ר
ּת ֹאכֵלּו: שֹור, שֵ ה כְּ שָּ בִ ים וְּ שֵ ה
עִ זִ ים.

Last night’s class ended with the Rabbi telling us that it is our own choice to go Kosher or not and to decide what really is Kosher.

In the Shul, to respect the different Kashrut lifestyles, the kitchen does not allow the cooking or storing of any meat. I respect that. But now I don’t know what I am going to do with my home. I don’t see myself going kosher the Orthodox Beth Din way. But maybe I should try and change my eating habits.

Well Done Steak 

No More Shellfish

Not Mixing Meat and Milk (Is mixing egg for scrambled eggs considered as mixing meat and milk? Wait Egg is Poultry not Meat. So I am good)

No Pork (That is easy, I already don’t eat it)