We Are What we Eat! (Part 2: Animals)

BY RABBI YOSEF GOLDMAN, SGOOLAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE, FREDERICTON, NB

According to the simple (literal) meaning of the verses in Genesis (1:29-30; 3:18)—mankind was supposed to be vegetarian (perhaps maybe even vegan, not clear). In addition, the animals were NOT supposed to eat eachother, and, most definitely—not humans! All this changed after the Flood! Hashem commands Noah, saying: “every animal (in Old English: critter) will be for you as food, I have compared it to the vegetation that I have given mankind” (Genesis 9:3). There is one condition (which seems to be unfair to me): “I shall demand your blood from any animal that eats you (humans), and from any human-being who kills another” (Genesis 9:5). Why do I consider this unfair? Because, if we are allowed to kill animals, why shouldn’t they be allowed to kill us?!

Even before giving of the Torah, and even before the “allowance” of eating meat, Noah (Genesis 7:2-3) was commanded what animals are Kosher, and which are not! When the Torah was given to the People of Israel, Hashem did not give them the reason for absolutely most of the 613 Commandments, dietary laws included. In order to keep the Commandments, we don’t need to know the reason, but it is very helpful if we do! Almost all commentaries who dealt with “TA’AMEI HA’MITZVOT”—the (special) taste of the Commandments—explain that the animals that Jewish People are forbidden to eat—have negative characteristic traits, and therefore ‘no good for our soul’ {not our physical body— the Sifra (K’do’shim) says: “don’t say that pork is bad for me (health-wise)—rather, G-d commanded me}!

Examples for these negative “personality” traits are: animals & birds of prey—we don’t want to become hunters!; bottom feeders—we should be able to have proper table manners; the parable about the horse seeing its reflection in the water and getting mad—we don’t want to be selfish, especially if there is water for everyone! Have you ever asked yourself why this parable wasn’t said about a cow or a sheep?! I believe that it’s because they don’t behave or think that way! Last, the Midrash (Yalkut Shim’oni) tells us that the pig is most despicable, since it shows its split-hooves and “says”: look, I have the kosher symbol—so, it represents/displays the lowest level of being a hypocrite! I can be Kosher on the outside/external, while being impure on the inside/internal! We, who do not want to become any of these archetypes—must refrain from eating these animals.

One of the most fascinating discussions in Jewish history, was about the nature of the animals in the “end-times” (the days of the Messiah). In order to understand both opinions, we just examined the dietary laws back to creation!

Rabbi Yehuda says on the verse (Leviticus 26:6): “and I will cease all bad animals from the (Holy) land”—this means that they will cease to exist; Rabbi Shimon, however, says— this means that their bad nature will cease to exist, and they will return to the way they were before the Flood!

Maimonides says in his Eight Chapters, that we don’t know (for sure) what things will be like when the Messiah comes, but we can hope and pray that the world will be a much better place! I prefer the scenario where my grandchildren won’t have to learn about thousands of extinct species—but will be able to pet a “lion and tiger and bear” in a petting zoo, just like they can the sheep & the rabbit!

Amen!