Back to Home -> Shemini ->

Horav Shimshon Rephael Hirsch Z”l notes that in this posuk the Torah implies two different forms of moral degradation in conjunction with eating prohibited food. “ofh,apb ,t umea, kt” – the term sheketz is used exclusively in reference to spiritual and mental abominations, particularly referring to idol-worship (ubmea, .ea) to describe the extent to which we should go to reject idolatry and all related concepts. These areas are antithetical to our spiritual and moral well-being. Similarly, when the eating of a food is described as sheketz, we infer that consuming the food is diametrically opposed to the development of our…

The Torah enjoins us not to eat those animals which, though they possess one of the required characteristics of purity, lack the second. The Torah enumerates four such animals, namely the camel, rabbit, hare, and the pig. It is noteworthy that when the Torah mentions these non-kosher animals, it chooses to mention the animal’s kosher characteristic prior to stating its non-kosher characteristic. There is an important lesson to be derived from this. When a non-kosher animal maintains a kosher characteristic, this is to be considered a sign of uncleanliness and contamination. In order to explain this statement, let us reflect…

The Mesilas Yeshorim explains that one who is lenient regarding kashrus laws in those areas where Chazal have indicated stringency is destroying his soul. The Sifra comments on the above quoted posuk, “If you will contaminate yourselves through eating them, you will ultimately become spiritually defiled through them.” This means that consumption of forbidden food brings impurity and dullness into the heart of a person to the extent that the Shechina distances itself from him. It may be suggested that the concept of “forbiden food” may take various forms. The Mishna in Pirkei Avos states: “If three have eaten at…