1.31.11

Lesson for the Day:
You Shall Not Murder
and
it does not only mean
the physical killing of another human;
the emotional restraint of anger;
the unleashing of hurtful words.

It also means
the preservation of life
and
therefore,
taking care of the body
sleeping enough
eating well
exercising regularly
respecting the enclosure
that carries
the gift –
Life itself.

REFLECTIONS
Leviticus 11-13

Can’t eat:
camel
coney or rock badge
rabbit
pig!!!
fin-less and scale-less water creatures
eagle
vulture
kite
owl
cormorant (seabird)
gull
osprey (fish-eating hawk)
stork
heron
hoopoe (an Old World bird)
bat
winged creatures with four legs except crickets, locusts, grasshoppers, katydid
weasel
rat
lizard
skink
chameleon
snakes
worms

Or else, be unclean!

Leviticus 12:3
Circumcision on the eighth day!

For a boy born, mom will be unclean for 33 days
For a girl born, mom will be unclean for 66 days
* Even the Bible has this seemingly particular bias for the “weaker” sex, or was just that an overreading or misinterpretation?

Why the obsession with cleanness and uncleanness?
And this is talking only about the physical aspect of things.
We always say that there is more to it than just the physical.
We always say what is inside is what matters.
But surely, there must be a reason in a physical sense that makes
cleanliness, being next to godliness.