Apr 14/07 — Parashat Shemini

Commentary by Chazzan Aníbal Mass

I still remember writing an article for this Parashah last year, and in my article I introduced the concept of Kashrut and how these dietary laws make us different from the animals.

This year I’d like to talk a little bit more about the interesting concept of this unique aspect of our lives.

Although everybody agrees that Kashrut helps us to be more elevated, some maintain that these laws specifically help us transform the simple act of eating into something sacred (through blessings, draining the blood, etc.), while others assert that it helps to develop a sense of self-control (I can eat this, I cannot eat that).

Actually, both explanations could be valid since they don’t contradict each other, but they still fail to explain why we should eat certain foods, while others are forbidden. Wouldn’t we develop self-control and elevate the act of eating in exactly the same way by proclaiming that pork is Kosher and declaring that chicken soup is Treif? Wouldn’t it be the same thing if our Rabbis allowed us to eat shellfish instead of salmon?

Perhaps this is one of the most difficult questions regarding the laws of Kashrut. Why chickens and cows are Kosher while pigs and horses are not, doesn’t have a simple answer.

The first answer to this question is from the viewpoint of the person of faith. God is our creator and He knows us and our spiritual needs. In the same way that a doctor prescribes medicine for the body, God does it for the soul. He considers what is represented by Kosher animals to be good for our spirit, and what is represented by Treif animals to be bad for it.

If the same “Doctor of the Soul” who commands: “love your neighbour”, “justice, justice you shall pursue”, “don’t steal”, and so on, is the one asking us to eat Kosher food, we believe that there must be a hidden benefit to it.

But, there is another way to answer this question.

If we take a moment to look at the characteristics of Kosher and non-Kosher animals, we can learn exactly what kind of behaviour expects from us. Kosher animals should be ruminant and they should have a split-hoof. The split-hoof teaches us that although we should live a material life, that is to say “with the feet on the earth”, at the same time we should have a “fissure” to allow the light to pass thru. This is a wonderful way to see our daily life: we are surrounded by material things, but it is our mission to illuminate them with spirituality.

We eat, conduct business, study, engage in a variety of activities, and each one of these aspects of our lives should be inspired by God through blessings, honesty, and ethical behaviour.

Kosher animals should be ruminant—that is, they chew their food very well before finally digesting it. This teaches us that we should not be impulsive, but rather carefully consider our actions and especially our words. It also teaches us to analyze all that we see, hear, or read before taking anything for granted.

We live in a time when the media tries takes every opportunity to tell us what to do, what to eat, what to wear, what to think … And we are at risk of believing that because something is popular, cool, or expensive it must be good, appropriate or worth trying. Kashrut gives us the necessary tools to think once and again before making a decision.

Perhaps now we can understand better why pork is Treif. It looks Kosher because of the split-hoof, but if you take a minute to examine it closely, you’ll discover that it is only “superficially Kosher”, since it is not ruminant.

We want both values in our lives. One without, the other is not enough to help us find real spirituality without being tempted with “easier paths” far removed from the teachings of the Torah.

My friends, I’m sure that Kashrut is not limited to these explanations, but rather the list of reasons is immense. Therefore, I want to extend to you an invitation to incorporate the dimension of Kashrut into your lives to add a new spiritual impulse to your Jewish existence, and to discover new teachings from these wonderful laws.

Shabbat Shalom.