A WORD FROM RABBI YOSEF ZARNIGHIAN: Pareshat Shemini
As we read Pareshat Shemini this Shabbat, we learn about the guidelines of kashrut, outlining which creatures are permissible and forbidden for Jews to consume. This section begins with the words: Zot ha-ḥaya asher tokhelu– "These are the animals which you may eat" (Lev. 11:3).
The Rabbis of the Talmud explain that the word ḥaya can also mean "life" and not just "animal." The Jewish people are attached to the Almighty, and worthy of being alive, therefore, The Creator separated us from impurity. As Jews, we have been elevated to a special level of responsibility, whereby we are capable of "being alive"– meaning, earning a meaningful life in this world through observing the miṣvot of the Torah, and eternal life in the next world.
Therefore, God assigned us special laws that protect our bodies and souls from defilement. Our Sages teach a metaphor to help better understand this concept. There once were two patients suffering from the same condition who came to the same doctor. The doctor tells one patient that he can eat anything he wants, but prescribes a strict diet for the second. He explains to the second patient that the first patient in any event will not recover from his condition, so he may eat anything he wishes, but the second can recover if he cares for his well being. Likewise, it is our job to avoid foods like pork, shrimp, and even non-kosher beef and chicken, as they are of a lower standard for our physical bodies, and have damaging impacts on our souls.
Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron (1941-2020), former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of the State of Israel, added that this explains the connection between this section, the laws of forbidden foods, and the other topics discussed in Pareshat Shemini. This Parasha begins with a description of the events that took place on the day the Tabernacle (mishkan) was inaugurated, when God took residence among the Jewish people. This marked the fulfillment of God's promise when He said (Exo. 25:8), They shall make for Me a sanctuary, and I shall reside in their midst.
Rabbi Bakshi-Doron explains that this commandment was presented here as an introduction to the laws of forbidden foods. At first, we might have wondered why a special dietary code is necessary for our spiritual wellbeing. After all, eating is a physical act, which
affects only the body. Why do we need to refrain from certain foods to protect our soul? The Torah preempted this question by introducing the section of forbidden foods with the law prohibiting drinking wine before entering the mishkan to serve. The fact that alcohol impairs a person’s judgment and leads him to act differently than he normally does, shows that food has an effect not only on the body, but also on the soul. Therefore, the Torah commands us with special restrictions on which foods we are allowed to ingest, in order to ensure that we carefully guard and protect ourselves.
Shabbat Shalom!