To the superficial observer it seems that men who do not obey the law are freer than law-abiding men, because they can follow their own inclinations. In reality, however, such men are subject to the most cruel bondage; they are slaves of their own instincts, impulses and desires. The first step towards emancipation from the tyranny of animal inclinations in man is, therefore, a voluntary submission to the moral law.
The constraint of law is the beginning of human freedom....Thus the fundamental idea of Jewish ethics, holiness, is inseparably connected with the idea of Law; and the dietary laws occupy a central position in that system of moral discipline which is the basis of all Jewish laws. The three strongest natural instincts in man are the impulses of food, sex, and acquisition.
Judaism does not aim at the destruction of these impulses, but at their control and indeed their sanctification. It is the law which spiritualises these instincts and transfigures them into legitimate joys of life. Believe it or not the above comes from Religious slaughter and animal welfare: a discussion for meat scientists. Meat Focus International - March 1994 pages 115-123 Published by : CAB International Temple Grandin Department of Animal Science Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado 80523 Joe M. Regenstein Cornell Kosher Food Initiative Department of Food Science Cornell University Ithaca, New York 14853-7201, USA.
By Judith Prays
This is the first year I heard about / tried to observe the Omer and it has not been easy. I didn't know about the counting every night and that each day was to work on a spiritual aspect of yourself, I just knew about the no music, no dancing, minimal fun. Ha, whoops. People have these cool character building calendars for the Omer and I'm so excited to get one next year and get the whole experience. Doing some research I found that there is a way to explore the Omer through color -->
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| By Judith Prays |