Translated and
adapted by Moshe-Yaakov Wisnefsky, for "The Chumash of the Lubavitcher
Rebbe
"All
hoofed animals that split the hoof and chew cud - those you may eat."
(Lev. 11:3)
"You
are what you eat", goes the old cliche. In fact, this saying happens
to contain much truth. Indeed, it is partly because of this concern
that we are instructed to abstain from eating certain animals whose
traits we would not wish to incorporate into our psyche. Kosher animals,
on the other hand, are characterized by peaceful traits that are worth
imitating. (Cf. Ramban on Leviticus 11:12, et al. See also Shulchan
Aruch, Yoreh Deah, end of 81.)
Even
the signs that the Torah uses to identify kosher animals contain profound
insights into the way we ought to lead our lives. Indeed, some authorities
suggest that these signs are not only incidental symptoms by which to
identify kosher animals, but rather the traits that make them kosher.
But even if they are merely "incidental", it is certainly
no accident that these are the signs of the kosher animal. What is it
about these signs that we are to emulate? When an animal is eaten, it
leaves the animal kingdom and enters the realm of the human…
When
an animal is eaten, it leaves the animal kingdom and enters the realm
of the human by becoming the flesh and blood of its consumer. However,
entering the human realm may not always be a step up for the animal.
If the human it enters is not operating on the level of a true human
(i.e. the animal aspects of his being are more dominant), then the animal
has merely moved from one animal state to another. Only when the human
is in touch with his human-side, that aspect of himself by which he
can be described as reflecting the image of G-d, can the animal he eats
be elevated to a higher state.
The
sign of whether one is operating on this optimal level is the nature
of his service to G-d. Is his divine service two-dimensional, including
both kindness and severity, love and awe - or is it one-dimensional,
limited to his natural tendencies and inclinations? Only when his "hooves
are split", i.e. his service is two-dimensional, including even
those areas where he is naturally not inclined to go, can the animal
he eats be elevated to the next level. The split hoof also signifies
the two-pronged approach necessary in dealing with earthliness…
A
student of a great rebbe had apparently become overly immersed in his
boot business. Said the rebbe: "Feet in boots, I have seen, but
a head in boots…?" The hoof is what separates the animal from
the earth, symbolizing the need for man to remain aloof in his dealings
with earthliness. Yet this barrier must be split through and through
to allow for the light of holiness to permeate even to the most mundane
aspects of Creation.
The
split hoof also signifies the two-pronged approach necessary in dealing
with earthliness: to lovingly embrace those who are estranged, while
resisting the urge to water down the Torah to what we imagine will be
more appealing. As the great sage Hillel said of Aaron the High Priest:
"He loved people and brought them close to Torah" - them to
Torah, not the reverse.
Rumination,
as its name suggests, is about chewing things over in one's mind before
entering the animalistic and mundane aspects of life. What are my intentions
here? Am I here to elevate, or, G-d forbid, the reverse? Can this perhaps
be done in a different way that will better conform to the desire of
my soul and Creator?
Split
hooves and rumination also parallel the two general aspects of the human
experience: thought and deed. Rumination addresses the inside of the
human, the inner life of his heart and mind. The less sophisticated
hoof parallels man's physical actions, independent of his inner workings.
To create a complete human, both of these aspects - the theoretical
and the practical - must be kosher.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright
2001 chabad of california / www.lachumash.org
Rabbi
Moshe Yaakov Wisnefsky is a scholar, writer, editor and anthologist.
Originally from Los Angeles, he moved to Israel in 1977, and currently
lives in Jerusalem. While living in Tsfat, he was one of the three founders
of ASCENT in 1983.
