Monday, October 30, 2006

Horns? They Are Under My Hat.

Today I was invited to speak about Judaism to the seventh grade class at the local school. They invited me because in the area where we live I am THE JEW. Not that I am the only one of the chosen people around here, but the others are deep undercover. So I was prepared to get the usual questions about why we don't celebrate "the other holiday" and why don't we believe in "the rabbi from palestine." But I was surprised by some of the others. "Do women have to wear Peyoes?" No they don't. "If horses had split hooves would you eat them?" If horses had split hooves and chewed the cud then we could eat them, but they don't so we don't. "If you went out somewhere would you have to bring your own food?" Yes you would, and yes we do unless we wanted to drive 240 miles for a snack. This reminded me of Disneyworld on Chol HaMoed which is full of families standing in line for the rides while holding enormous shopping bags of food, usually with the long suffering zadie muttering "bittul Torah" over and over again. A big concern seemed to be over the age of the animals brought for sacrifice in the Beis Hamikdash. I must have been asked that one three times. Why I'm not sure.

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