Letter of the Law

Today, at lunch, we all happened to sit down together (Ari, P, E, both my inlaws, and myself). As is our custom, we all held hands as we gave thanks for the food. When this happens, the rule is that each child is to remain silent and hold the hands of the people adjacent to him/her, which prevents the child from digging into the food before the prayer is over. I had made open-faced sandwiches with peanut butter and honey for the kids, and after the prayer was over it was clear that E had only kept the letter of the law. A groove was evident in the peanut butter on his bread, and a long string of peanut butter hung from his nose.