Why Jews Eat Kosher 

[music] >> So, we're in a restaurant, and everyone's feasting on a six-course [music] meal that comes with your room. And look what we have. >> [music] >> Carrots and celery. That's what we're eating tonight. We are in United Lounge looking at all the food we cannot eat. I'm here driving in Croatia, and everywhere I drive there's a scent of another form of food that is otherworldly. But hey we can't have it. So, I'm sitting here enjoying my delicious uh kosher meal, and everyone's eating their delectable delicacies, and it sort of makes you think gosh, it's good to be a Yid, but I wouldn't mind the fettuccine alfredo that those people are having. I'm here in the middle of nowhere, and if you travel like I do, you know the feeling. Every airport, every hotel, every buffet, it is an endless world of food that you cannot eat. Like this over here and here, shrimp, lobster, bacon, cheeseburgers, every color, [music] every flavor, every culture, and there I am holding my ziplock bag with my tuna sandwich looking around and thinking am I missing [music] out? Because let's be honest, you land in Hong Kong for a business trip, and the hotel restaurant is filled with people eating dumplings. You're in Rome, and everyone is enjoying fresh pasta. You're in Vietnam, and everyone is tasting the local cuisine, and you're sitting there eating a bag of stale popcorners. You're starving after a long day of travel. It's easy to look around and think maybe I'm losing something. Maybe I'm missing out. [music] But let's not forget what we all learned as kids. When it comes to being Jewish, the question isn't only what can I have? The deeper question is, who am I supposed to be? Who am I choosing to be? Because every bite in life is a choice. [music] Do I live just to satisfy my cravings? Or do I use something even as simple as eating as a way to connect to Hashem? A Jew doesn't just eat, a Jew elevates. [music] Kosher isn't a limitation, it's a declaration. It's saying, I have a purpose. I belong to something bigger than [music] my appetite. The world often tells us that freedom means doing whatever we want. But Judaism teaches that real freedom is having the strength to choose what we were created for. Kings don't walk around eating everything placed [music] in front of them. They eat with dignity and with discipline and with intention. So, when I walk past [music] that shrimp cocktail or that burger joint or that plate of oysters, [music] I don't feel deprived, I feel royal. Because I'm not just eating food, I'm turning the physical into something holy. I'm taking a simple human action and transforming it into [music] a moment of connection with the king of all kings. So, the next time you're in an airport or in a hotel or somewhere across the world and you see food you can't eat, don't feel bad. Hold your head high. Because you're not missing out. You're standing for something. You're telling the world that it's better to be hungry with Hashem than full without him.