Biblical Parallels Index –Vayikra 20/0

Biblical Parallels Index – Vayikra 20

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Kashrut

Makbilot BaMikra points out that Vayikra 20:25 is one of several passages that speak of the laws of kashrut. It mentions the laws just in passing while Vayikra 11 and Devarim 14 speak about them at length.

Tools

• Use the Tanakh Lab to compare Vayikra 11 and Devarim 14. One difference between the two is that Sefer Vayikra suffices with providing the signs of kosher animals, while Sefer Devarim also identifies them by name.  Another difference relates to context. In Vayikra 11 the dietary laws are placed in the unit of laws dealing with impurity, while in Devarim they are found amid a discussion of the abominations of foreign nations.  In Vayikra 20 they are placed among laws of holiness. What is the import of these differences? What do both passages teach about the reason for the dietary laws?

Articles

• See Purpose of the Laws of Kashrut for analysis of commentators'  understandings of the reason for the laws. Exegetes debate whether the laws were instituted for their physical or spiritual benefits. Thus, Rashbam maintains that their purpose is purely utilitarian, and they serve to ensure the health of the nation. Akeidat Yitzchak vehemently disagrees, claiming that all of Torah law must somehow elevate man. Hashem forbade the eating of all predatory animals since ingesting such an animal can detrimentally affect the character of the consumer. Moreover, regardless of the nature of the forbidden foods, setting limits helps man to control his desires. A third approach suggests that the goal of the laws is to separate Israel from her neighbors.
• See Kashrut, by R. Ezra Bick, for discussion of how the notion of prohibited foods is related to holiness and morality. He develops the idea mentioned by Akeidat Yitzchak (see above), that the very act of withdrawal and learning of restraint is an end of itself.
• See Locusts, Giraffes, and the Meaning of Kashrut, by R. Dr. Meir Soloveichik, for a review of several classic understandings of the reasoning behind the laws of kashrut and a theory that the purpose of kashrut is to develop a sense of community and national loyalty.