Yom Iyyun: Food, Ethics, and Torah
10:30 am – 12:00 pm Jonathan Crane
“Waste Not, Want Not: Food, Ethics and Bal Tashchit”
The intersection of food and waste occurs at three interlocking levels: at the plot, the plate and the principle. Dynamics at the edges of fields where food is grown, one’s relation with food on one’s plate, and learning derived from the principle of bal tashchit – all challenge us to think carefully about food, production and consumption.
12:30 pm – 1:45 pm Aviva Richman
“To Your Heart’s Desire: (how) to eat meat?”
We’ll take a broad and deep look at core halakhic and aggadic sources that shed light on what we have to consider if/when we eat meat. Starting from the book of Devarim, hitting highlights in the Talmud and medieval interpretations and landing in the contemporary moment, which questions must we raise and what answers should we have before taking a bite? This will also serve as a case study to investigate the relationship between “ritual” and “ethics” in halakhah.
1:45 pm – 3:00 pm David Silber
Manna: Bread From Heaven
Israel was commanded to set aside a portion of Manna as a reminder for future generations. We will reflect upon the episode of the Manna and the lessons it has to teach us about our relationship to food and its implications for our connection to the Divine and to humanity
