Kosher Indicators
By
Binyomin Adilman
"Speak to the Children of Israel
and say to them, 'When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male….'"
(Lev. 12:2)
Rabbi Simlai pointed out that in the creation
of the world, Man was formed last, coming after the birds, insects, fish
and animals. When it comes to the laws of purity and impurity, the laws
which apply to humans (i.e. the leper and his purification process) also
are found in the Torah after those of the birds, insects, fish and animals
(the laws of kashrut), as per the verses: "This is the law
of the animals and the birds, of all living creatures that swarm in the
seas and that crawl on the ground. In order to differentiate between the
impure and the pure and between the creature that may be eaten and the
one which shall not be eaten." (Lev. 11:46-47, Vayikra Rabba 14:1-end
of section)
The Tiferet Tzion comments on this Midrash,
saying that laws pertaining to the purity and impurity of man come after
that of the animal in order to teach us that we must include all the qualities
that they possess. The indicators of purity (kashrut) for animals
are external; the cloven hoof and chewing of the cud. For fish as well,
the signs are external: scales and fins. The kashrut indicators
for birds are both internal and external; the extra toe on the outside
and the peel-able crop or stomach on the inside.
Therefore we are to learn that we must have
"kashrut indicators" on the inside and on the outside
as well. On the inside, we require a faithful and contrite heart, open
to the path of G-d. On the outside, we need to look Jewish, just as our
ancestors merited to leave Egypt since they preserved their Jewish clothes,
language, and names. Man is mentioned after the fish, animals and birds
to remind us that a Jew must preserve both indicators of his "kashrut".
One must be Jewish inside as well as out. And the alliance of the two
is the key to climbing the ladder of divine service, which is firmly rooted
in the earth and reaches upwards endlessly to the heavens.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Based on Tiferet Tzion; first published in B'Ohel
Hatzadikim, Vayikra 5760]
Rabbi Binyomin Adilman is the former head of the
Nishmas Chayim Yeshiva in Jerusalem. Back issues of his weekly parsha
sheet, B'ohelei Tzadikim, from which this article was taken, may be found
on www.nishmas.org.
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