Tonight I attended a lecture titled "A Practical Guide to Shmita", in which the Rabbi explained what produce we could eat this year, where to get it, and how to dispose of it. It basically boils down to paying more to eat less, and starting a compost-bin on your porch. What I found most interesting, though, was the Rabbi's response to the loud groan from the crowd when he began describing how to treat flowers grown in Israel. Rather than pacify the crowd with a joke or quiet them with a pause, he instead criticized us. "It is because of these laws that we have the Land of Israel today," he said sternly. "That our Rabbis and ancestors studied and explained these laws is what kept this dream alive. Hertzl had nothing to do with it. If you are living here because of Hertzl, you are here for the wrong reason.*" Not quite what I expected from the lecture, but still very interesting to hear a moderate Rabbi talk about.
*This wasn't exactly what he said, but close enough.
2 comments:
I paid more to eat less this weekend - I went apple-picking, then went home and made various apple dishes with friends. We pretty much destroyed my oven and stove with carmelized brown sugar that leaked out everywhere. Gonna be a fun few months slowly chiseling that away bit by bit.
Yeah, but if it comes to it, could you imagine a more delicious oven to stick your head into?
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