What do vegetarians not eat over the Nine Days?
The credit for this philosophical question goes to David, who rightly asked “If we don’t eat meat during the Nine Days, ” the nine-day period between Rosh Chodesh Av and Tisha B’Av commemorating the fall of Jerusalem, “then what do vegetarians not eat? Do they become vegans?” And then, what do vegans eat? Do they fast?
And I’m writing this post while eating my chicken sandwhich (the kosher restaurateur of which was still serving meat today, interestingly enough) because this question gets to the point of food fasting, which is varied and multi-dimensional. Partly we’re told it is share in the suffering personally, in a small way, with that of our ancestors. For Yom Kippur, we’re told we should be focusing on spiritual matters to the exclusion of our physical needs. There are many more interpretations and each for their own reasons.
But what should or could vegetarians do to commemorate this period? Or here’s my big question — why do we have to mourn through our food in the first place? Isn’t juggling my food repertoire just going to distract me from the message of the holiday?
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5 Responses to “What do vegetarians not eat over the Nine Days?”
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rejewvenator Says:
July 16th, 2007 at 3:37 pmMaybe you’re making this more complicated than it needs to be. Meat-eating was an essential and mandated part of Jewish celebration throughout the Temple eras. People would partake of the sacrifices brought in honor of the holiday, and in particular, would eat of the Korban Chagiga (lit. celebration sacrifice) as the centerpiece of their holiday meal. It is quite fitting then to drop meat from the diet when commemorating the destruction of the Temples. I don’t think that we are sharing in the suffering personally - I’m actually a little put off by the idea, given how awful the suffering was in besieged Jerusalem, as described in Eicha (Lamenatations).
I’m not sure that vegetarians need to give up anything further during the Nine Days. There are numerous other mourning rituals, like not shaving, or not listening to music, that can readily serve to mark these days as different.
As to why we mourn through food, isn’t it natural? We celebrate through food, no?
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Aliza Says:
July 16th, 2007 at 10:27 pmI think this is an interesting question, and reminds me of a conversation some of us started getting into while washing dishes at TLS on Friday– about vegan t’fillin…Am I sensing another Jcarrot post on the horizon?
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Anna Stevenson Says:
July 17th, 2007 at 6:37 amCelebrating through food is so simple, so powerful — not when you just eat whatever you want but precisely in those moments where your “rules” challenge your “habits.” We have a night off tonight, I suggested a BBQ because there are onions and squash ripe in the Sadeh and we have a fire pit. But no, it’s the 9 days before Av, and that’s not quite in the spirit of things. Seems arbitrary, somehow, but also very present, and noticeable. Maybe vegetarians should tone it down & not eat fun things like avocados — or maybe no alcohol? Good question!
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Rabbi Shmuel Says:
July 18th, 2007 at 8:42 am“Isn’t juggling my food repertoire just going to distract me from the message of the holiday?”
Au contraire mon frere, what better way is there to really sense the specialness or sacredness of the period than by it reflecting in our most basic rituals - food, washing, music, clothing, etc.
In food, just like in comedy, timing is everything. While I may crave a fresh peach in February, I have to show the discipline and self-restraint unless I’m willing to pay a heavy environmental price (which I’m not) of flying/trucking that peach from halfway around the world to satisfy my urge.
Similarly, we get our fresh produce Thursday or Friday so that the freshest, finest of the harvest is there to grace our shabbos table.
I think Anna is on to something - it’s about an awareness - you don’t want to be down by the lake wearing straw hats, with pina coladas in your hand and doing the lambada but saying “hey we’re not eating meat” (or washing or shaving) - those artifices are merely stage setting means to an end. It’s not good if they become ends in and of themselves or disregarded as quaint, outdated folk practices. - There is a wonderful middle ground as Anna points out. -
Rendsburg Says:
July 18th, 2007 at 10:23 pmAnna, you are also not supposed to have alcohol during the nine days (note: both wine and meat are allowed on Shabbat). A friend of mine noted that a Nazir is not supposed to every drink alcohol, so maybe there is a paralel somewhere in Rabbinic literature about how a Nazir “tones it down” during the 9 days.
