All this ostracizing should be left to the rabbis at the pulpit who are trained in how and when to lecture. The rest of us ought to have compassion for one another and lend a hand to those we perceive as being in need of one.
Thanks for letting me speak my mind.
Just my sense of Yiddishkeit
Dear Just,
Be it sugar or salt, overdoing is the culprit. In moderation we can handle both. Abuse of either can get us to the point where we’re forced to ban one or the other forever from our diets.
B’Ahavat Yisrael called attention to some of our foibles, as when we take things to an extreme. I rather tend to view us much more optimistically. Considering the restrictions of an orthodox lifestyle, we do more than admirably on many fronts. We are creative and enterprising, compassionate and giving, and family oriented.
As humans we are not perfect, nor are we expected to be, but far more important and indicative of our Jewishness than how fussy we are about our mishloach manos is the way we conduct ourselves both in public and in private. Are we loyal and devoted to our loved ones and act with a pleasant demeanor and with kindness to others? Do we share with those of lesser means and deal fairly with all people?
As for the subject that got us into this discussion to start with, before reaching for the cookie jar we’d best digest the following: According to the American Heart Association, 5 to 6 teaspoons of sugar should be a woman’s daily limit (9 for a man). This includes the sugar worked into the ingredients of all the other foods we eat, such as crackers, breads and many of the spreads that go with them.
The more we indulge in sweets, the more we mess with our metabolism. Our liver, brain function, and mood are all adversely affected. Aside from weight gain, sugar overload can contribute to malaise of the heart, to diabetes, to cancer and to premature aging of the skin.
I think I’ll pass on the chocolate today.