Parashat Shemini, 5786, 2026: "Kashrut and Kedushah"

​Rabbi David Etengoff
 
ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
The final chapter of Parashat Shemini contains more than 20 pasukim that discuss various aspects of hilchot kashrut. Herein, the Torah gives us general guidelines for determining the status of kosher and non-kosher mammals, fish, insects, and seven bird species that we are forbidden to eat. In short, it is a self-contained “kashrut handbook.”
 
In his commentary on Sefer Shemot, the Ramban (1194-1270) presents a powerful argument for understanding hilchot kashrut on a spiritual level. He begins by examining the phrase, “And you shall be holy people to Me,” (Sefer Vayikra 22:30, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) and notes the following:

… and now that the Torah has come to the beginning of its examination of the Laws of Forbidden foods, it begins with the phrase, “And you shall be holy people to Me,” for in truth, it is proper and fitting that a person should be able to eat anything that would enable him to live, [therefore,] it must be the case that the prohibitions that exist regarding various foods are for the exclusive purpose of spiritually purifying the soul. [This means] that one should eat pure foods (devarim nekiyim) that will not produce a thickness and arrogance of the soul. As such, the Torah states, “And you shall be holy people to Me,” which means that I [Hashem] desire that you [the Jewish people] will be a holy people in order that you will be fitting to Me, [and] cleave to Me for I am holy. Therefore, do not sully your souls through the eating of disgusting things … [and regarding a treifah (literally a torn animal)], while it is not revolting, holiness ensues when one guards themself from eating it. (Translation and brackets my own)
 
Rabbi Don Yitzhak Abarbanel (1437-1508) builds upon the Ramban’s analysis and passionately advocates for the spiritual understanding of hilchot kashrut:
 
The Divine Torah did not come to heal the body or to promote physical health but rather to foster the health of the soul and to heal its afflictions. Therefore, the Torah forbade these foods because they have a deleterious effect on the pure and intelligent soul, breeding insensitivity in the human soul and corrupting its desires. This causes the formation of an evil nature that breeds a spirit of ritual impurity and banishes the spirit of ritual purity and holiness, concerning which Dovid implored: “Do not take Your spirit of holiness from me!” (Sefer Tehillim 51:13). (Commentary on Parashat Shemini, translation, Rabbi Yaakov Beasley with my emendations)
 
The Torah’s emphasis on the role of hilchot kashrut as a means of achieving kedushah and to avoid spiritual defilement is found in our parasha regarding the prohibition of eating “creeping creatures that creep on the ground:”

You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping creature that creeps, and you shall not defile yourselves with them, that you should become unclean through them. For I am Hashem your God, and you shall sanctify yourselves and be holy, because I am holy, and you shall not defile yourselves through any creeping creature that crawls on the ground. For I am Hashem Who has brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God. Thus, you shall be holy, because I am holy. (Sefer Vayikra 11: 43-45, underlining my own)
 
Closer to our own time, my rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as the “Rav” by his students and disciples, translates the underlying concept of hilchot kashrut into the modern idiom. Rather than emphasizing the spiritual motif, however, he focuses on the sanctification of the body that takes place as a result of following these laws. In so doing, he underscores their overarching significance for the Jewish people:

It is interesting to note that there is only one verse in the Torah that mentions prayer (Deut. 11:13), but there are many chapters that deal with dietary laws. It is easier for man to pray than to withdraw from food he desires. Man is ready to serve God spiritually, but resents any interference with his eating habits, or with the manner in which he gratifies physical or carnal needs… he resents being told that there are laws which guide him concerning behavior not of the spirit, but of his body. The Torah is of the opinion, however, that it is impossible to hallow and inspire the spirit without disciplining the body. These mitzvos [that is, the dietary laws] belong to the category of discipline of the body and its sanctification. What is forbidden here is overindulgence in satisfying human corporeal needs and drives. (This and the following citations, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Festival of Freedom: Essays on Pesach and the Haggadah, J.B. Wolowelsky and Reuven Ziegler, Editors, page 137, all brackets my own).
 
The Rav stresses Judaism’s respect for man’s physical being and desires, in notable contrast to other religions. At the same time, however, he underscores the Torah’s insistence on sanctifying all aspects of our physical existence:
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Judaism does not reject the body. The body is part of man and so is the spirit, the soul. But the body should not be that of a savage; it should be a disciplined body, one capable of refraining and retreating from certain actions that promise corporeal pleasure. The body must be sanctified and elevated.
 
It is in the context of his above-stated comments that Rav Soloveitchik notes the singular import of the hilchot kashrut, “We have existed for almost two thousand years without a sanctuary, and the absence of its service has not affected the integrity of our people. If a Jewish community would reject kashrus, however, it would become assimilated in a few generations.”
 
Whether we focus on hilchot kashrut from a spiritual standpoint (the Ramban and the Abarbanel), or from the viewpoint of the elevation of the body (Rav Soloveitchik), each of these approaches lead to the pursuit of holiness.
 
May we strive to lead lives dedicated to kedushah, so we may grow ever closer to HaKadosh Baruch Hu. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
 
Many may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 

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