Difference between revisions of "Purpose of the Laws of Kashrut/2"
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<category>Health Benefit | <category>Health Benefit | ||
<p>All the animals that the Torah prohibited are unhealthy for the human body.</p> | <p>All the animals that the Torah prohibited are unhealthy for the human body.</p> | ||
| − | <mekorot><multilink><a href="RashbamVayikra11-3" data-aht="source">Rashbam</a><a href="RashbamVayikra11-3" data-aht="source">Vayikra 11:3</a><a href="R. Shemuel b. Meir (Rashbam)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel b. Meir</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RambamMorehNevukhim348" data-aht="source">Rambam Moreh Nevukhim</a><a href="RambamMorehNevukhim348" data-aht="source">3 48</a><a href="Rambam Moreh Nevukhim" data-aht="parshan">About Rambam Moreh Nevukhim</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="SeferHaChinukhCommandment73" data-aht="source">Sefer HaChinukh Commandment 73</a><a href=" | + | <mekorot><multilink><a href="RashbamVayikra11-3" data-aht="source">Rashbam</a><a href="RashbamVayikra11-3" data-aht="source">Vayikra 11:3</a><a href="R. Shemuel b. Meir (Rashbam)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel b. Meir</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RambamMorehNevukhim348" data-aht="source">Rambam Moreh Nevukhim</a><a href="RambamMorehNevukhim348" data-aht="source">3 48</a><a href="Rambam Moreh Nevukhim" data-aht="parshan">About Rambam Moreh Nevukhim</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="SeferHaChinukhCommandment73" data-aht="source">Sefer HaChinukh</a><a href="SeferHaChinukhCommandment73" data-aht="source">Sefer HaChinukh Commandment 73</a><a href="SeferHaChinukhCommandment148" data-aht="source">Sefer HaChinukh Commandment 148</a></multilink>,</mekorot> |
<point><b>The signs</b> – 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.</point> | <point><b>The signs</b> – 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.</point> | ||
<point><b>Context in Vayikra – laws of purity</b> – 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 realted to disease.  See for example Ralbag on <a href="http://alhatorah.org/Tzara'at/2#NaturalDisease" data-aht="page">Tzara'at</a>.</point> | <point><b>Context in Vayikra – laws of purity</b> – 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 realted to disease.  See for example Ralbag on <a href="http://alhatorah.org/Tzara'at/2#NaturalDisease" data-aht="page">Tzara'at</a>.</point> | ||
Version as of 23:29, 11 April 2018
Purpose of the Laws of Kashrut
Exegetical Approaches
Health Benefit
All the animals that the Torah prohibited are unhealthy for the human body.
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 realted 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 suggest these verses as being the general aim of many commandment 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.
