Re'eh 5772 - English

Rabbi David Cohen-Henríquez

Kol Shearith Congregation, Panama

To be what we eat

This week we read parashat Re'eh. This portion ofTorah tells us about different mammals, birds and fish that we are allowed to eat. It explains which species are Kosher and which ones are not. 

There is a tradition in Judaism which says that we are what we eat, and those species that are kosher and we are allowed to eat  have features that we would like to be able to emulate. For example, those animals that are herbivores are peaceful, non-violent, non-predators. We can learn from animals that chew their cud  to not say things impulsively, and instead we  must think, process the words  several times before a reaction.

One of the birds that is described in the reading of this week is Chasidah, the Stork. The name derives from the same root as the word chesed, which means "goodness," in Hebrew. The Talmud tells us that this bird is called "the kind one one", and explains that the reason is because "she is benevolent towards its own species".

However, the stork is not a kosher animal.

If what we want is to have the characteristics of the animals we eat, why is the Stork not a kosher bird? We could say that her characteristic kindness is worth imitating.

The Kotzker Rebbe (1787-1859) explains  the problem lies in that the stork is only "benevolent towards its own species". This is a good thing to emulate, but the question that arises is: what happens with others who are not "your own kind"?

We all want to help our friends and family, be friendly, generous and charitable, but we must ask ourselves if we are kind with those who are not of our own species, or put another way, our same class or group.

Charity and true goodness, do not discriminate between our own social or family group and other human beings. Kindness manifests itself both to a stranger and a  loved one.

Do you want to be nice and kind to your friends, and those more close to you? That's fine, but it is not enough to be "kosher". The highest  level of chesed is the unconditional kindness towards others, regardless of their social status or personal relationship that may have with us.