(From a radio program in Liberty, New York, called "Through the Eyes of a Woman")

Shalom! We'd like to welcome you to our radio program, "Through the Eyes of a Woman" sponsored by the National Lubavitch Women's Organization. This program will be broadcast on station WVOS Liberty, N.Y. every Wednesday evening, (G-d willing,) at this time. This program will acquaint our listeners with many relevant and interesting aspects of Judaism through the eyes of a woman.

Kashrus

Tonight's program deals with Kashrus -- the laws of keeping kosher. And I'd like to begin with dispelling some of the myths and fallacies people have about the observance of this mitzvah. Many people still believe that the laws of Kashrus are simply a health code; and the prohibitions against foods or combinations of foods, such as eating meat and dairy foods together, are merely because they might lead to illness. Especially prominent is the prevailing thought that since eating pork can cause trichinosis, all pork products are forbidden. However, have you ever stopped to think that other meats also harbor diseases? And it is only in a partially cooked state that these meats can be dangerous. Eating well cooked and properly prepared meat (including pork) eliminates all of these health hazards, so it is obvious that the laws of Kashrus were not given to prevent these diseases. If it were, the law should have stated: "Thou shalt cook all meat until well done."

Another common misconception is that the intricate laws of salting, soaking and rinsing meat were instituted at a time when refrigeration was unknown, and so these procedures were helpful in preserving the meat in a fresh state. In our time, people argue, when preservatives and refrigeration are so totally effective in keeping meat fresh for months, these laws are simply dispensable and needless. This view is also wrong. First of all, there is no evidence that the process of kashering meat which involves salting, soaking and rinsing really does preserve the meat for a long period of time. And since nowhere in the Torah is there any basis given for these assumptions, we can discard this myth as well. The laws of Kashrus were not geared toward preserving meat.

The same is true for all the other arguments posed. The laws of Kashrus were not given to an ancient people for a limited time in a certain environment. The laws of Kashrus were not given by men. G-d presented these laws to our forefathers thousands of years ago, to be observed by the Jewish people for all time.

We all know that we are what we eat. The types of food a person eats have an effect not only on the physical makeup of the body, but on his mind and heart as well. Eating kosher food helps refine the body and the qualities of one's heart and mind to the highest degree possible. Adhering to the Kashrus laws refines one's whole being to become more attuned to, and aware of, Jewish ideas and spiritual matters, and it makes one more holy. And the converse is true as well. Eating non-kosher foods makes the mind and the heart less sensitive to, and less interested in Jewish things and G-dliness.

Some of the foods which are forbidden, or treif, are the flesh or by-products (such as milk or eggs) of carnivorous and other wild animals and birds. Only the meat and by-products of tame, domesticated and gentle animals which are herbivorous are acceptable. This coincides with the previously mentioned idea that what we eat has an effect upon us. Eating kosher food actually encourages gentleness and kindness.

Many people feel Jewish only on Shabbos or Jewish holidays. In other words, at a specific time, or only when in the synagogue -- in other words, in a specific place. By keeping the laws of Kashrus you bring Judaism into your life at all times and in all places. You know, it's very ironic that many Jewish families keep a kosher home, but they eat out in non-kosher restaurants. Judaism asks that the person be kosher -- not just the stove, the kitchen, or the home. Kashrus is for 1975, and for always, in America and everywhere, and for all Jews.

A woman in Long Beach, California, recently began observing the laws of Kashrus and she told me as follows: "It's fantastic. As I walk down the aisles in the supermarket, it's a truly intense Jewish experience. As I read ingredients and carefully select only kosher foods for my family, I feel totally involved in my heritage and truly feel myself as a link in a chain which started with my grandmothers thousands of years ago, and continues on to my children and grandchildren, all keeping the same mitzvos and eating the same kosher foods."

Keeping kosher is not all that difficult. And the dividends greatly outweigh the investment. Contrary to what you may think, there is a tremendous variety of kosher food available. Your menus will be as tasty, healthy and interesting as non-kosher ones.

I will briefly outline some general aspects of Kashrus:

All plants are kosher and can be eaten with any foods. Plants are the most passive food and indeed we find that in Jewish law all vegetables are permitted for food without discrimination.

Next in order of desirability as human food are those animals which are herbivorous, whose food comes only from the vegetable world. All kosher animals chew the cud and have split hooves, show little passion, and generally have temperate instincts. They spend a great deal of time in the passive process of digesting their food, and are submissive to man. The same is true for birds. No bird with cruel habits is permitted for food. Those birds which are carnivorous and use their feet or claws as instruments of killing or tearing their prey are forbidden. All by-products such as milk and eggs of non-kosher animals and birds are likewise forbidden, with the exception of honey which is not actually produced from the body of the bee. Conversely, the milk and eggs of kosher animals and birds are similarly permissible.

In the case of fish, the above mentioned principles are not as clear. All fish which have fins and scales are kosher, and all others are not. Obviously a radio program does not allow the time to go into the many details of the Kashrus laws. There are many principles regarding the further preparation of kosher meat, such as proper slaughtering and salting process, laws regarding dishes and utensils, etc. However, a reliable, qualified Rabbi can help answer all of your questions and give you practical suggestions and advice in setting up a kosher home.

People have asked why the laws of Kashrus were given only to the Jewish people. If they are so beneficial to human refinement why are they not universal? And the answer is simply this: What is good for one person may not be good for the next person. Air is necessary for the lungs, and bad for the stomach. Food is necessary for the stomach and bad for the lungs. So non-kosher food is detrimental to the Jews, whereas it may be good for non-Jews. And one who returns to keeping Kashrus, cancels out all the previous negative effects of eating non-kosher foods. So don't waste time bemoaning the fact that you didn't start keeping kosher when you first got married. It's never too late to start all over again.

How strange it is that here and now in America, where high-quality and tasty kosher food is available in large quantity and great variety, many people have neglected the observance of Kashrus. For so many years previously, when keeping kosher meant doing without so many foods, people had the strength and stamina to keep kosher despite the hardships. Nowadays it is much easier to keep kosher.

And, women, it is all in your hands. Whether the home and family will be kosher depends not on the man but on the woman who is the Akeres Habayis, the main person around whom the home and family revolve. When a woman makes a firm resolve to do something, her husband and family follow suit. And so, although Kashrus is equally relevant to men and women, it is much more vital to bring the message to women. For upon them rests the privilege and responsibility of running the Jewish home in the way G-d has specified, by making it a Jewish home, not only on Shabbos, but every day of the week, at all times.

There's another beautiful and meaningful way to mark your home as a Jewish one. And it's so simple too! When sunset arrives every Friday evening, it is the mitzvah (or special commandment) of the Jewish woman to kindle the Shabbos candles. The picture of a Jewish woman lighting the Shabbos candles is a symbolic Jewish scene. But that's not enough. We must bring this picture into real life by actually lighting the candles ourselves every Friday evening. The candles usher in the peace and holiness which Shabbos brings to the Jewish home. Furthermore, the Torah says that when a woman kindles these holy flames, she brings the blessings of harmony, long life, health and peace to herself, her husband, her family, and even to her neighbors. The Shabbos candles shed light on the home so that none of its inhabitants will stumble over false ideologies, so they will not become involved with philosophies which turn one away from the path of truth. And the Shabbos candles certainly make all of the family members aware and proud to belong to the Jewish nation. What is the procedure? It's as easy as this: Kindle two candles 18 minutes before sundown. Then make a circular motion three times with both hands as if to usher in the Sabbath Queen, and then cover your eyes as you say the blessing. When you do this, Shabbos enters the home.

It is also customary before lighting the candles to put a few cents (usually 18 corresponding to the numerical equivalent of the Hebrew word chai which means life) into a charity box which should be present in every Jewish home. This is also an opportune time to pray to G-d for everything which we need -- nachas from children, health and peace.

For many years it was traditional for the true head of the household, the mother, to light the candles for everyone. However, now times have changed drastically. Now we live in an era of darkness. People of all ages are troubled by the new morality which is, in essence, the old immorality. The Jewish home, which once was known as a fortress where fidelity, peace, love and truthfulness were central pillars, is unfortunately no longer that fortress. The Jewish community, and the Jewish families which comprise it, are now prey to juvenile delinquency, divorce, and family strife -- illnesses once almost unheard of in Jewish circles.

One of the ways to combat this darkness of the world is by kindling the holy lights of Shabbos. The candles of Shabbos dispel the darkness of the world. And this is the reason why the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, head of the international Lubavitch movement, has issued a new call to all Jewish women. In our time it is urgent for all women, and even little girls from approximately the age of 3, to kindle the Shabbos candles. However, there is one distinction: Single girls should light only one candle, and married women, two. Just as we see in the physical world that at dusk we need only a little bit of light, but as the night grows darker we must add more and more light to combat the ever-growing darkness, so must all Jewish women now kindle Shabbos candles to dispel the darkness which threatens to engulf the Jewish home. Candle kits and beautiful small candlesticks are available by writing to _____ or calling _____. Don't delay. Please do it immediately. To date a quarter of a million candlesticks have been distributed throughout the U.S. through the Lubavitch candle-lighting campaign, and the number of women who have begun to light candles grows weekly.

Be among your sisters, this Friday evening at _____ as thousands upon thousands of Jewish women and girls join in spirit at the same moment to light their candles. Join your mothers and grandmothers in continuing this Jewish tradition. It is so clear to see that by keeping a kosher diet and lighting the Shabbos candles, you will be using a potent weapon to strike out against assimilation, which threatens to destroy the Jewish people, G-d forbid.

The Jewish nation was singled out from among all the nations of the world by the Almighty for a special task. The Jewish people must carry the torch of G-d's light to everyone. We must be the examples of purity and nobility. Anything which hampers a Jew from fulfilling his holy mission should be avoided. Specifically what a Jew eats and what subsequently becomes his flesh plays a profound role in shaping his character, thus affecting his ability to carry out his responsibilities. And since we were created by, and are constantly being enlivened by, an Eternal and Omniscient G-d, it is obvious that it is He who knows best the special diet we need in order to carry out our special responsibilities. Just as we can understand why the inventor and manufacturer of a certain product are the ones most equipped to write an instruction manual regarding its care and use, so G-d is the only one who can instruct us as to our special dietary needs. In order to be what we must be and do what we must do, we need a clear mind and sharp faculties. This we can only achieve by eating kosher food.

And as mentioned before, Kashrus is one of the best weapons a Jew has to fight assimilation. The distinction of a Jew's diet has always been a concrete and practical reminder that he must continue the Jewish chain, and not, G-d forbid, let it break with him.

In many cases, when the Jewish family began eating non-kosher food, this was the beginning of the disappearance of Jewish character from the home. Soon there was little difference between this home and the homes of other neighbors. A return to Kashrus brings a return to the Jewish way of life.

In closing, I want to say that it is the obligation of the Jewish wife and mother to instill in herself and her family the pride which should be natural to a Jew. She must teach her children and influence her neighbors that there is only one way to carry on the divine heritage we were blessed with. It does not come by sending children to Sunday schools. It does not come by attending temple occasionally. The only way is by incorporating Judaism into the home by practical, constant, and realistic action. By preparing and serving only kosher food, by lighting the Shabbos candles. Judaism is to live, not only to learn.

A word of caution is in order regarding the expression "kosher-style." Any food designated as "kosher-style" is not kosher. The same is true for "kosher-style" camps and restaurants. So be wary of the many establishments which advertise this way, simply as a means to attract Jews and Jewish children.

We welcome your questions and comments about this program. Please call _____ or write _____ to comment about this program. There is also available in the Catskill Mountains area, a team of women who can visit your hotel or bungalow colony to speak about these very urgent topics. The Lubavitch Women's Organization will also gladly distribute free candlesticks to any woman or girl wishing to begin observing the mitzvah of kindling the Shabbos candles. We also wish to remind you again that Lubavitch has available a fund to finance 50% of the cost of making a home kosher. So for information on any of the above, simply call or write _____. And don't forget, Shabbos candle lighting time this Friday, July 4th is _____.

Wishing you a happy and healthy summer. Tune in again next Wednesday evening, and every Wednesday evening at this time through July and August, and spread the word to your friends.

You have been listening to, "Through the Eyes of a Woman" -- a program sponsored by the Lubavitch Women's Organization and aired on WVOS Liberty. Good Evening!