An old joke says Jewish history can be summarized in three sentence: "They tried to kill us. We survived. Let's eat."
The joke captures the Jewish experience of persecution, our ability to survive as a people to devoted to God, and our love of food and celebration.
For many Jews (and Christians) faith and food go together. Bagels and lox, matzah ball soup, corned beef sandwiches. Food symbolizes tradition.
But it does more than that. What we eat can enhance our awareness of the beauty around us. Mindful eating reminds us of the Source of our life and blessings.
My friend Rabbi Rex Perlmeter described an exercise he did with a group. It sounds silly at first. But listen for the meaning:
"We spent half-an-hour eating raisins. No, not just popping them into our mouths, though I would happily do that! No, we experienced them – one raisin at a time; savoring texture, smell, appearance, taste and even the sound of our own chewing and swallowing"
"A whole world opened up from a single tiny piece of fruit. And in those moments of awareness, I was all about gratitude for the moment and the gifts."
"And there was a calm that went with that awareness, and an awe I would never have expected to have felt. If I could bring that awareness to the family meal, I wondered, how might our discourse and experience and companionship be changed, enhanced, blessed." Eating is not only about physical health. It reflects and shapes our spiritual health as well.
If you are interested in the spirituality and the bible and food, I discovered a wonderful resource.
It details the characteristics and health benefits of the seven species found in the land of Israel, along with stunning pictures in their natural environment. Click here to get it in color.
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Kodak Courage for Friday, 17 March 2017 with Rabbi Evan Moffic from Congregation Solel in Highland Park, Illinois, United States
A guy was telling me about a rafting trip with his son.
They were approaching some serious rapids. The son asked the guide if he could wear his waterproof Go-Pro camera so he could record himself going through the rapids.
The guide looked to the father. The father asked the guide what he thought.
The guide replied, "Well, the problem is sometimes the camera gives us too much 'kodak courage.' That's not good for anyone."
That phrase "kodak courage" stuck with me. It reminds us of the difference between bravery and foolhardiness, between risk and recklessness.
In a culture that prizes the biggest and loudest, kodak courage is tempting. It takes an experienced guide to help us navigate through it.
I'm shipping out the last of my Jewish wisdom books today. If you are interested in grabbing one, click here. (Sorry it's taken so long to get them out. The response was fantastic and overwhelming!!)-------
evan@rabbi.me
Evan Moffic
Congregation Solel
1301 Clavey Road
Highland Park, Illinois 60035, United States
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