One of the first steps I took after deciding to convert
to Judaism was to keep a Kosher-style diet. After about six months of doing
this I have learned a lot about it and about people's reactions to it. I've
gotten to the point where this diet has become second nature, but it did not
come easily. There have been many difficulties and learning experiences along
the way.
The first difficulty that I encountered was giving up
Maruchan Ramen noodles. As a college student Ramen Noodles were a staple. They
are cheap, quick, and easy to make. They don’t taste too bad either. When I
decided to try keeping kosher I went through my dorm room searching for all of
the non-kosher foods so that I could get rid of them. When I came to my Ramen I
was not able to find a hechsher (Kosher symbol) on the packaging. I looked at
the ingredients to see if there were any non-kosher ingredients, then I saw
that it may contain shellfish. My heart nearly stopped. I figured bacon and
cheeseburgers would be the hardest foods to give up, but in an odd way this
was.
When confronted with difficult choices like this it's
easy to cheat or give up, but for me, it was an opportunity to think about why
I wanted to do it in the first place. I chose to keep a kosher-style diet because
the laws of kosher are in the Torah. Those laws to me are G-d's requirements as
a part of his covenant. They are what he expects of those who love and fear
him. Whether or not I can understand or agree with the laws is not necessarily
the point. The point is the covenant itself.
I don't like to think of keeping kosher as things that I
can and can't eat. I like to think of it as things that I will and will not
eat. When I explain it to people I like use the marriage analogy. A marriage is
a covenant of love and life between two people. One spouse may have certain requirements, such
as you must not cheat on him or her. If presented with the opportunity to
cheat, to say that you can't is technically false because most people very well
can and would want to. But to say that you won't despite wanting to speaks more to the covenant of marriage and your
willingness to honor it and be bound to it. Contrary to what many may think I find
pleasure in doing my part in moving into a special covenant with G-d. It is
very rewarding.
It's also rewarding to be able to explain why I choose
certain foods when dining with others. It's an opportunity to share a little
bit of Torah with them. I am very happy with having chosen to keep a kosher-style diet, and intend on keeping it up for the rest of my
life.
