By Elana Weberman
During our Jerusalem Shabbaton, were so fortunate to be visited by Avital Hochstein, President of Hadar in Israel. Avital is the former rosh kollel at the Pardes Institute, a research fellow at Mechon Shalom Hartman, a graduate of Hebrew University with a BA in Talmud, the co-author of The Place of Women in Midrash, and a founder of Kehilat Shirah Hadashah in Jerusalem.
Our session focused on foods that are אסור ומותר, forbidden and allowed, in both a modern and historic context. Avital launched our time together with an activity, discussing foods we believe may be labeled as “bad” for us, but we still enjoy consuming them. From Marzipan to avocado, we reflected on the idea of how certain foods hold labels and cultural perceptions that influence our behaviors and beliefs over their consumption.
We discussed certain foods that are perceived to be good, but may have implications causing them to be problematic or forbidden. Participants shared their thoughts on the actual forbidden fruit from גן עדן,The Garden of Eden, and what different Rabbinic thinkers consider the artistic portrayal of the fruit to be. Perhaps the forbidden fruit is an apple; through the symbolism of the electronics brand, Apple, we face the dichotomy of good and bad through the use and misuse of technology. Another example is the grape; while they are sweet and can be used to make wine, an important symbol in Judaism, too much wine can be dangerous. Additional possibilities of the forbidden fruit include a fig tree, berry bush, or wheat. Thus, how can we know where to draw the line between allowed and forbidden foods? We must distinguish that differentiation for ourselves.
The most special learning from this session arose from our text study. Genesis Raba 19:3 teaches “And from the tree with the garden” this is what they say: “don’t add on His words lest you will be disproven and found faulty” (Proverbs 30:6). R Hiyya taught: don’t make the fence more than the central, lest the planted will be cut.
In other words, do not take more than you need, or the resources will be wasted. We as a United people must aim for sustainability. Sustainability is defined as meeting the needs of today without sacrificing the resources of the future. Regarding the context of food, this teaching is of utmost importance. We must recognize the role we play in our food system, and in the creation and consumption of our food. In order to sustain our future, L’Dor V’Dor, it is imperative to understand how our actions, and inactions, elicit a chain response that directly correlates to our lives and the Jewish chain we continue to grow. Our (food) choices have effects and if we choose to take more than we need, we will end up wasting, which creates consequences for our environment and for our future.
Therefore, as we progress, and especially as we continue to grow during our time on The Nachshon Project, I wish for us all to take the initiative to learn how our actions impact our future. My wish is for each one of us to recognize the value of our (food) choices, and choose to consume in a way that inspires a brighter future for all.
