Purpose of the Laws of Kashrut/2

Purpose of the Laws of Kashrut

Exegetical Approaches

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Health Benefit

All the animals that the Torah prohibited are unhealthy for the human body.

Sources:RashbamVayikra 11:3About R. Shemuel b. Meir, Rambam Moreh Nevukhim3 48About Rambam Moreh Nevukhim, Sefer HaChinukhSefer HaChinukh Commandment 73Sefer HaChinukh Commandment 148,

Why these animals? According to this approach these specific animals are unhealthy for the human body.  However, Abarbanel notes that there are many other unhealthy foods which are not mentioned, and if the Torah's goal was to keep us healthy one would expect it to include a complete list.

• Predators and carnivores are prone to transfer diseases, as they are much less hygienic and live in waste products.
• Rambam notes that if pigs were allowed to be eaten, then the streets would not be clean, because pigs live in the dirt.

Scientific support – Many commentators note that this does not match reality, where we see many non-Jews eating these prohibited foods with no unfortunate consequences.¹  Sefer HaChinukh defends this position saying that we can trust Hashem who knows better than any scientist which foods are healthy and which not.

The signs – Rambam explains that there is nothing intrinsic in the signs which provide a health benefit to the animal.  The signs are only necessary so as to differentiate between the different animals.

Context in Vayikra – laws of purity – According to this position, it is not clear how these laws are connected to the laws of purity and impurity.  However, it is possible that other laws of impurity are also related to disease.  See for example Ralbag on Tzara'at.

Context in Devarim – laws of idolatry

Why is the purpose not stated? Sefer HaChinukh claims that had the reason been given individuals would think they know better and decide for themselves what is healthy and what not.  R. D"Z Hoffmann in contrast argues that it would have been better to include the reason, because people tend to want to observe commandment which are beneficial to them.

"וְלֹא תְטַמְּאוּ אֶת נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם"

"וִהְיִיתֶם קְדֹשִׁים" – The reasoning given in the Torah does not correspond to this approach's understanding.  Presumably they would suggest² these verses as being the general aim of many commandments and not specifically Kashrut.

Prohibition of נבילה and טריפה – The Rambam explicitly writes that the same reasoning applies by the נבילה and טריפה which are hard to digest.  Sefer HaChinukh notes that the fact the animal became a טריפה proves the animal is sick.

Spiritual Benefit

Learning Limits

The purpose of the commandment was to limit us in the number of animals we can eat, in order to train us in controlling our desires.

Sources:4 Maccabees4 Maccabees 1:33-34, PhiloThe Special Laws IV 100-104About Philo, R. BachyaVayikra 11:13Vayikra 11:44About R. Bachya b. Asher, Akeidat YitzchakTorah 60About R. Yitzchak Arama,

Why these animals?

• Philo notes that the swine is admitted to be the nicest of all meats, and the fish with no scales are the most delicate of fish, suggesting that Hashem chose to prohibit the most desired of animals.
• In contrast, Akeidat Yitzchak seems to suggest that there is no meaning to the specific animals which were chosen to be prohibited for eating.

Eating meat

"וְלֹא תְטַמְּאוּ אֶת נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם" – The large number of commandments are the only way for a person to overcome his desires and control his spirit.

Perfecting Personality

The laws of Kashrut are to elevate the soul, as eating disgusting foods lowers the man to the level of the animal.

Sources:Ibn EzraVayikra 11:43About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, RambanVayikra 11:13Devarim 14:3Devarim 14:21About R. Moshe b. Nachman, Sefer HaChinukhSefer HaChinukh Commandment 73Sefer HaChinukh Commandment 148, RalbagVayikra 11Vayikra Toalot 11:45About R. Levi b. Gershom, Akeidat YitzchakTorah 60About R. Yitzchak Arama, AbarbanelVayikra 11, Question 8Vayikra 11:1Vayikra 11:13About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, SefornoVayikra 11:2-46About R. Ovadyah Seforno,³ ShadalVayikra 11:1,43About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto, NetzivVayikra 11:44-45About R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin,

Why these animals? A person becomes what they eat, and therefore Hashem only permitted animals which have a good nature, and prohibited animals which own traits that Hashem didn't want humans to learn.

• Beasts – Abarbanel⁴ maintains that the animals which chew their cud and have a split hove are all herbivores,⁵ and therefore those animals are not as cruel as the carnivores who are predators.  One who eats a beast of prey will turn into a beast of prey, and Hashem wants us to avoid such a lifestyle.
• Birds – The majority of the prohibited birds are birds of prey.

The signs

• "מַפְרֶסֶת פַּרְסָה וְשֹׁסַעַת שֶׁסַע" – Herbivores don't have nails like carnivores, rather they have a split hove to enable them to run to far distances in order to collect enough food.
• "מַעֲלַת גֵּרָה" – Herbivores do not have canine and grinding teeth, and therefore they can't eat bones rather only plants.  However, plants are not easy to digest and they need to chew multiple times through their multiple stomachs in order to digest them.
• "סְנַפִּיר וְקַשְׂקֶשֶׂת" –

"וִהְיִיתֶם קְדֹשִׁים" – Seforno asserts that by adhering to these laws the nation will become as close as possible to Hashem's holiness.

"וְלֹא תְטַמְּאוּ אֶת נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם" – Akeidat Yitzchak asserts that there is nothing impure physically about these prohibited animals, rather it must be spiritually.

Prohibition of blood and chelev – Sefer HaChinukh explains that the prohibition of eating blood and chelev is for the same purpose, as it is eating what enables the animal to live.  A person should not eat the soul of an animal.

Similar prohibitions – Ramban asserts that also the prohibitions of eating meat and milk together and of slaughtering the mother and children the same day, are to teach us not to be cruel towards animals.

Separation From the Nations

The purpose of the laws is for Israel to have different dietary needs than the rest of the world.

Sources:ShadalHaMishtadel Vayikra 11:1About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto,⁶

Ancient Near Eastern parallels – Shadal maintains that the same way the priests of other nations are isolated and have their own laws and prohibitions, so too every person in Israel is different from the nations.

Context in Devarim – laws of idolatry – This understanding fits with the context of the laws in Devarim, laws of idolatry, where it is emphasized that we are a holy nation whom Hashem chose.

"וִהְיִיתֶם קְדֹשִׁים"

Similar prohibitions

¹ Shadal notes that the camel's meat is very healthy.

² See R. Yosef KaraVayikra 11:44About R. Yosef Kara who explains the verse this way.

³ Seforno relates the laws to the sin of the Golden Calf, and suggests they were only needed to perfect the people after they sinned.

⁴ See also several modern scholars such as L. Landau, Olam HaTanakh Devarim (Tel Aviv, 1994): 124, and R"E Samet's analysis, "פרשת שמיני – בין החיה הנאכלת ובין החיה אשר לא תֵאכל".

⁵ Abarbanel notes that even though pigs, camels, and rabbits are herbivores (though pigs are omnivores), they have a bad nature, and Hashem chose the animals which will elevate the soul.

⁶ Shadal notes that this only explains the need for the laws under specific circumstances, and that when the whole world will believe in Hashem, their will be no purpose for such laws. Therefore in addition Shadal writes that purpose of the laws are to teach man his limits, and serve as a constant reminder of Hashem who commanded these laws.