Parshas Shmini: The Case for Kosher:

“Do not make your souls abominable by means of any creeping thing, and you shall not make yourselves impure through them, lest you would become completely ruined through them.” (Leviticus 11:43)
“The Hebrew word of impure employed in the verse (veneetmaisem) is missing the letter “aleph” (which reads “veneetamtem), implying that eating non-kosher dulls the heart and soul, and blocks it from attaining spirituality. (Talmud Yoma 39a)
“If possible, a Jewish baby should only be nursed by a kosher observant Jewess, because non-kosher milk (by means of its originating source) congests the [spiritual] heart and breeds a negative disposition in the baby which could have negative repercussions many years later.” (Code of Jewish Law, Yoreh Deah 81)

Why keep kosher? This is the perennial question plaguing so many contemporary Jews. Even among those Jews who do keep kosher, there exist many levels of kosher observance. Although the ultimate reason for performance of Mitzvoth is that G-d, who is omnipotent, commanded us to do so; how do we make sense of this commandment in our minds, and how could we bring it closer to our hearts?

We are all familiar with the famous quote, “You are what you eat.” Regarding eating kosher, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (Horeb p. 317) writes, “If you have eaten them (non-kosher), not only touched them but absorbed them into your system, you may be more nourished and better fed: but the animal instinct will be aroused more strongly within you, and your body becomes more blunted as an instrument of the spirit. Your heart, instead of being holy, instead of striving only for holiness-namely, your sublimity above everything animal-like, is drawn down to the animal-and becomes the more apathetic and dulled. Your spirit is now faced with a fiercer battle, and is less equipped for the fight.” Rabbi Hirsch is informing us that we are comprised of both the animalistic body, and the spiritual soul. Prior to Adam’s sin with the forbidden fruit, man only had spiritual tendencies. Once Adam sinned through the act of eating, the animalistic tendency was introduced into humanity. (See Sfas Emes) That very act of eating which brought about the degradation of humanity has the same ability to restore the former spiritual glory that was lost. It all depends on what we decide to eat. The addiction to eating all that is available is a very strong addiction indeed, but the satisfaction derived from self-control is much greater.

The Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 13) relates the following parable that provides some insight into the concept of kosher: A doctor was checking on two newly admitted patients. After going through their charts, he instructed the staff that one patient could eat anything she wanted, yet the other patient was placed on a very strict diet. When queried about his orders, he replied that the unrestricted patient has no hope of survival, so she might as well enjoy the last moments. However, the other patient could make a very strong recovery, albeit on a very strict diet.

Similarly, in order to achieve the primordial state of humanity, we must do all that it takes to tap into our spiritual side. We use the kosher food to channel our animalistic tendencies toward spirituality. On Shabbos and Yom Tov we are commanded to eat meat in order to achieve the higher goal intended for us through our physical needs. Indeed, the commentator Chassam Sofer points out that the section of Torah addressing the kosher laws begins with the meat that is permissible. The reason is that technically, only people who sanctify themselves and the food that they are eating are permitted to eat meat. Otherwise, the person eating the meat is identical in spiritual nature to the animal being eaten, and Judaism condemns such cannibalism!

There are many stories that illustrate the destructive spiritual nature of non-kosher. Perhaps one of the most powerful episodes occurred with the great Rabbi Maimonides. Following Maimonides’ trip to Yemen, one of the leading Rabbis continued a correspondence with him. Following tens of letters, the Yemenite Rabbi posed a very complex philosophical question to Maimonides. Maimonides was shocked. He was certain that a devout rabbi could not have posed such a heretical question. He deduced that this Rabbi must have an impure heart, which caused him to think in a heretical manner. Maimonides therefore ceased responding to him. After the rabbi did not let up, Maimonides finally replied that the Rabbi should investigate the kosher status of the local meat. The Rabbi investigated, and lo and behold, he uncovered that for the past thirteen years the local slaughterer was feeding the populace non-kosher meat. That was the cause for this great Rabbi’s heresy!

It is clear that non-kosher is spiritually harmful. The obfuscation begins when people have differing standards of Kosher. How does one make sense of the necessity for higher standards?

Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin, (1818–1898), the Rabbi of Brisk and Jerusalem, explained the differences with a great story. In his youth, whenever his mother had a kosher question about a chicken that his father ultimately permitted, his father would not personally eat the chicken. He did however allow her to serve it to the children. Little Yehoshua Leib could never grasp the difference between him and his father until one fateful day. A fire broke out in the synagogue and a number of Torah scrolls were burnt. The community leaders brought the burnt scrolls to Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin’s father to find out what to do. When little Yehoshua Leib opened up the door, he shuddered and immediately ushered them into his father’s study. The leaders brought the scrolls into Rabbi Diskin’s study, and as soon as little Yehoshua Leib’s father saw the burnt scrolls he fainted. Only after a long couple of minutes did Rabbi Diskin come to. From then on little Yehoshua Leib realized that there are different standards and different spiritual levels. Obviously, there are basic minimum standards, but surely, for people that are more spiritual, higher standards are the call of day.

That said, it is easy to get caught up in the technical aspects of Kosher. Yet we must be sure never to forget the goal of kosher: focusing on our spiritual soul. Keeping kosher, especially in North America is extremely easy. (compare that to India and Japan!) The challenge is to continue growing in our kosher standards, and in our spiritual quests that will allow us to achieve the primordial state.