Parsha Shemini (Eighth) continued

Levitcus 11:2 "Speak to the Israelite people thus: These are the creautres that you may eat..."

Why is this chapter on permitted and forbidden foods included in this parsha? This parsha deals with the ordination ceremony of Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; the deaths of Nadav and Abihu and the laws of kashrut. What is the underlying theme that ties them together? "For I the Lord am He Who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God: you shall be holy, for I am Holy." (Lev 11:45) The theme is holiness.

The people were freed from under the burdens of Egypt the beit avodim (house of slavery) so that they could be avodim Adonai (servants of God). The system of serving God was regulated by the priests. Nadav and Abihu did not serve God properly but offered esh zarav (alien fire) and were consumed. Now we come to the laws of kashrut which are another way of serving God. By making distincitions between holy and profane, between clean and unclean, we sanctify ourselves and are holy. Lev 10:44

What animals are permitted? Of the land animals, those that chew the cud AND have cleft hooves. If an animal does not have both, it is unclean. Pigs, camels, and rabbits are right out. Of the animals in the sea, fish that have fins AND scales are permitted. Crustaceans, cephalopods and jellyfish are right out. Of the birds, don't eat the eagle, vultures, falcons, ravens, ostrich, kite, nighthawk, sea gull, hawks, owls, pelican, stork, herons, hoopoe and bat. (Is the bat a bird? No it's a mammal. But it is a flying animal and to the Biblical mind, this classified it as a bird). Winged insects are an abomination. Anybody got a problem with that? But, the locust, cricket and grasshopper are kosher. John the Baptist ate locusts. I've never tried locust. Don't plan on doing it anytime soon either. Anything that crawls on its belly, such as snakes and snails (no escargot for me) are unclean. And animals that walk on fours, such as dogs and cats, are not to be eaten. And animals with many legs (spiders, centipedes, milipedes) are also unclean.

The word that keeps coming up is sheketz (abomination). Something loathsome or detestable. It is used in reference to unclean persons or things, especially idolatry. Why use such a strong word in regards to animals? Weren't animals created by God? Why are certain animals (seemingly) arbitrarily classified as unclean? And to that, I have to say I don't know.

The laws of kashrut fall under that category of mitzvot called chukim (laws). Chukim are different than mishpatim (judgments) or torat (instructions) because they are stated without rational explanation. God decreed I am not to eat these animals. If it's good enough for God, it's good enough for me. I am to be conscious of what I put in my mouth. I have to make distinctions between what is clean and what is unclean. Throughout the ages, several reasons have been put forth for WHY certain animals are forbidden to be eaten (and their carcasses touched). Some give health reasons. Some say to separate the Israelites from the surrounding nations.

There is merit in both arguments. But I think they are results of the law, not the reason for the law. For if we say we now know how to cook meat properly and how to preserve meat that the reason for the law disappears. And if we say that we now live among other peoples who don't keep kosher and in order to do commerce and live among them we don't have to keep kosher, then the reason disappears as well.

There is a difference between not following a law because circumstances dictate that the law is impossible to be carried out (destruction of the Temple for sacrifices) and not following a law because we don't find any immediate relevance for it. And that I think is a problem in Reform Judaism. Many Reform Jews don't keep kosher. Or they will do a half-hearted attempt at keeping kosher by not eating pork but they will eat shellfish. But then they will add on the prohibition of not eating meat and milk. That baffles me mightily. But I fear I get sidetracked.

The laws of kashrut are a way to keep us holy. Why cleft hooves? To teach us to make distinctions between holy and ordinary, between clean and unclean. Why chewing the cud? To teach us to not swallow things whole but chew them over, i.e. search the Scriptures dilligently. Why both? Because action without thinking is impulsive and just going through the motions. We aren't prepared to give a reason for the hope that we have. And on the other hand, having the knowledge but not acting upon it is like building a house on sand.