A three-fold prohibition and... · Web viewThe Torah uses the word “Don’t cook” to teach that, on a Torah level, milk and meat are prohibited only when they are “cooked”

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PAR T I I

בשר בחלב

M E A T A N D M I L K

A THREE-FOLD PROHIBITION

SHEMOS 23:19, SHEMOS 34:26, DEVARIM 14:21

You shall not cook a kid in its mother’s milk.

שמות כג:יט, שמות לד:כו, דברים יד:כא

.לא תבשל גדי בחלב אמו

CHULLIN 115B

It was taught in the academy of Rebbi Yishmael: “Don’t cook a kid in its mother’s milk” appears three times in the Torah – one for the prohibition of eating, one for the prohibition of getting benefit, and one for the prohibition of cooking.

:חולין קטו

דבי רבי ישמעאל תנא "לא תבשל גדי בחלב אמו" שלוש פעמים – אחד לאיסור אכילה ואחד לאיסור .הנאה ואחד לאיסור בישול

TORAH LEVEL ( ) VS. RABBINIC LEVEL (דאורייתא :(דרבנןPRACTICAL DIFFERENCES

SHULCHAN ARUCH YD 87:2-3

“A baby goat (kid)” is not meant literally – the prohibition exists for cows, sheep and goats. Also, there is no difference between the mother’s milk and another animal’s milk. The Torah merely used common examples…however, one would be allowed to cook the meat of birds in milk and derive

benefit from the combination since the prohibition of eating poultry and milk is a Rabbinic law.

שלחן ערוך יורה דעה ס' פז:ב-ג

גדי" לאו דוקא דהוא הדין שור שה ועז. ולא שנא"שדיבר אלא אחרת בחלב שנא לא אם בחלב

הכתוב בהווה...ובשר חיה ועוף אפילוובהנאה בבישול מותר בחלב טהורה .אף באכילה אינו אסור אלא מדרבנן

SHULCHAN ARUCH YD 87:1

The Torah uses the word “Don’t cook” to teach that, on a Torah level, milk and meat are prohibited only when they are “cooked” together. On a Rabbinic level, however, any combination of milk and meat together is prohibited to eat, but, unlike the Torah level prohibition, it would be permissible to derive benefit from a Rabbinically prohibited milk and meat combination.

שלחן ערוך יורה דעה ס' פז:א

והוציא "אכילה" בלשון "בשול" לומרדרך אלא התורה מן אסור שאינו

הגה כל בשרבשול. אבל מדרבנן אסור בכל ענין. ( )בחלב שאינו אסור מן התורה מותר בהנאה .

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LET’S SEE THAT IN PRACTICE: PET FOOD

TAZ YOREH DEAH 94:4

A milk and meat combination from which it is prohibited to benefit must be thrown out and cannot be given to animals, even if the animal is not his own.

טורי זהב יורה דעה צד:ד

המאכל שנאסר ]בבשר בחלב[ כתוב באיסור והיתר הארוך ורש"ל ותורת חטאת שצריך להשליכו דוקא לבית הכסא אבל לא לפני הכלב אפילו אין הכלב.שלו

BADEI HASHULCHAN 87:25

It is forbidden to get benefit even from mixtures of milk and improperly slaughtered meat cooked together; therefore, pet owners should be careful since many times milk is mixed with beef in the pet foods, and using these pet foods would be a prohibited benefit.

בדי השלחן בב"ח ס' פז:כה

ובני אדם המחזיקים בביתם מיני בעלישלפעמים זה על להזהירם יש חיים אלו חיים בעלי של הבשרי מאכלם לפי בהנאה והוא אסור בחלב מעורב .הנ"ל אף שהבשר נבלה

DISCUSSION: STOP, THINK AND DISCUSS

In any legal system, it is important to define the terms used in each law. For example, if the law states that “One is not allowed to drive above the speed limit,” there are several terms which must be defined: what do “drive,” “above,” and “speed limit” actually mean?

The same is true with the laws of בשר בחלב (milk and meat): each of the important terms is discussed and debated to understand clearly what it means: what is considered “milk,” what is considered “meat,” and what is considered “cooking” are all topics discussed and debated in Torah literature. As you saw in the sources above, whether or not something gets the “legal status” of milk, meat, or cooking makes a tremendous difference in what we are allowed to do.

Which animals are considered “meat”? Are there any parts of the animal which would not be considered meat? What methods of combining foods and flavors should be considered “cooking”?

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MOLECULAR KASHRUT :בליעות

BADEI HASHULCHAN 93:1-2

When a pot is used to cook meat, the meat taste is absorbed in the walls of the pot, thus one should not cook milk in that pot since the meat taste in the walls will mix with the milk and create a prohibited milk and meat combination.

בדי השלחן בב"ח צג:א-ב

קדירה שבישל בה בשר ועל ידי כן נבלע טעם בשר בדופניה, לא יבשל בה חלב

מפני שטעם הבשר בדופניה מתערב.עם החלב ונעשה בשר בחלב

DISCUSSION: VOCABULARY

This quote and the video we watched illustrate the idea of “molecular kashrut:” the idea of taste molecules transferring through heat. There are several terms and ideas crucial to understanding how the laws of kashrut are applied practically in your kitchen at home and in the factories around the world producing the foods we eat. As you read these terms and study this packet, write down any questions you have, and we can discuss them with representatives from major kashrut organizations who will come to shed more light on kashrut in the modern world.

P. 72 כשרות במטבח

Meat/Dairy Pot/Dish/UtensilUtensils (including plates and silverware) used at least once for “hot” meat or dairy

(Yad Soledes Bo) יד סולדת בוA degree of heat that when felt or touched causes one to draw back his hand. Most poskim agree that it is approximately 113°F (45°C). Below this level is not considered “hot” in halacha.

(Ben Yomo) בן יומו A utensil used with hot meat or dairy within the last 24 hours

(Kli Rishon) כלי ראשון A pot in which food is cooking

(Kli Sheini) כלי שני A utensil into which food from a כלי ראשון (kli rishon) was transferred

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Kashering Various methods of rendering a non-kosher utensil kosher

LET’S SEE THAT IN PRACTICE: A “COLLEGE” APARTMENT

DIRA DAYS, P.107-108

Q: I WRAPPED MY PIZZA IN SILVER FOIL AND THEN THREW IT IN THE DRYER TO HEAT. WHEN I FINISHED, I REMEMBERED THAT LAST NIGHT I DID THE SAME THING WITH SCHNITZEL (CHICKEN).

A: One really has to be careful when doing their wash and dry cycle! Firstly, is the food wrapped well enough to avoid leakage? If not, we have two other considerations: A) Are there food particles left behind in the drum of the dryer? B) Is the dryer hot enough (yad soledes bo) for the food to be absorbed in the metal drum? If there are particles left over, we must double wrap in order to further put in meat. If there is only absorbed taste, it would depend on whether the food touched the place on the drum which was used for milk within the past 24 hours.

DIRA DAYS, P.105-106

Q: I ONLY HAVE ONE PAIR OF GLASSES. ONE OF THE FRAME’S ARMS I USE FOR STIRRING COFFEE AND THE OTHER I USE FOR STIRRING INSTANT CHICKEN SOUP. I WAS JUST WONDERING THE OTHER DAY, “ARE MY GLASSES TREIF (NON-KOSHER)?”

A: To answer this question we must first consider the halacha (law) of pots. Even if one side of a pot becomes fleishig (meaty) through heat absorption, there is still a debate regarding the other side. This idea is called חם מקצתו חם כולו – if heated on one side, does the heat spread to the rest of the pot as well? This debate concerns absorbing taste, as well

as expelling taste. Although there are some scenarios ]in which we only look at[ the place of absorption, all agree that when kashering the entire utensil must be kashered. The question here is, what about connecting parts? Do we say that screws which are not intrinsically part of the כלי (utensil) separate the two parts or is it one כלי connected. This question

is dealt with by many poskim (Jewish legal authorities) and would depend on your type of glasses. What type of material is it made of – plastic,

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metal, etc.? Does it have screws at the temples, rimless, etc.? Take a long hard look at the glasses and call a Rav.

SEPARATING BETWEEN MEAT AND MILK

SEPARATE AND EQUAL

ARUCH HASHULCHAN YD 88:10

The Jewish people are holy and are very careful to have separate dishes for dairy foods and meat foods.

ערוך השלחן יורה דעה פח:י ולכל דבר של חלב ושל בשר יש כלים מיוחדים .וישראל קדושים הם ומחמירים הרבה בזה

ARUCH HASHULCHAN YD 89:15, 88:10

One is not allowed to eat dairy on a tablecloth used for meat, or the opposite, since it is very likely that there are drops of either milk or meat on the tablecloth…the custom is to have separate tablecloths, one designated for dairy foods and one for meat foods.

ערוך השלחן יורה דעה פט:טו, פח:י

ואסור לאכול גבינה על מפה שאכלו בה בשר וכן להיפך דאי אפשר שלא תהיה על המפה כמה טיפין של בשר או של חלב...ובאמת נהגו כל ישראל שיש להםמיוחדות ומפות לבשר מיוחדות מפות .לחלב

ARUCH HASHULCHAN YD 88:7, 88:10

On a table where one arranges the food, one is allowed to place milk and meat near each other since they won’t be too close…however, the custom has already spread to have separate counters designated for milk and for meat.

ערוך השלחן יורה דעה פח:ז, פח:י

בשלחן שסודר עליו את התבשילין כמו שלחן של בית המבשלות מותר ליתן זהזה בצד זה אינן דמסתמא זה בצד בית שבכל פשוט המנהג ממש...וכבר להעמדת מיוחד ספסל יש המבשלות קדירה של בשר וספסל מיוחד להעמדת

.קדירה של חלב


The custom is to designate separate salt shakers for milk and meat. Especially where there are young children around, it is proper to have separate ones since it is very likely that the salt shaker will touch the

food or food will get stuck to the opening when they are using it. So too with other condiments which are regularly used for both milk and meat, such as mustard and ketchup, it is proper to have separate bottles when there are children using them.

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בדי השלחן בב"ח ס' פח:ל

שלנו הסוכר בכלי וכן אלו בממלחות אף המנהג שנמצאים והיכא לחלב ואחד לבשר אחד ליחד ילדים קטנים בודאי שראוי לנהוג כן שעלול לפעמים

אצלם שהכלי עצמו נוגע במאכלים וכן עלול אצלם שמתדבק מהמאכלים בראש הכלי על ידי טיפוחםמיני שאר של בכלים וכן למכשול. לחוש ויש בו תבלין שמשתמשים בהם לסעודת בשר וגם לסעודת חלב כחרדל וכדומה נראה שראוי ליחד אחד לבשר .ואחד לחלב במקום שיש קטנים


One is allowed to put a jar of meat and a jar of milk in a box together. (Rama: However, there are some who ideally are stringent ]when the jars are uncovered[. It is

best to be careful and avoid doing this if it is not necessary.)

שלחן ערוך יורה דעה צה:ו

מותר ליתן בתוך תיבה כד של בשר אצל כד שלליזהרחלב. וטוב לכתחלה מחמירין ויש )הגה

לכתחילה במקום שאינו צריך.(


The custom is not to place a dairy pot in the space where a meat pot was placed (or the reverse) because there is a concern that the food spilled out and when the other type is placed there, it will absorb that taste. Even though when the pot is cold it cannot absorb, one should still be careful since sometimes hot pots are placed down without being aware of what is underneath. One should be careful with this when putting foods in the refrigerator to designate spaces for dairy foods and separate spaces for meat foods. It would also be best to make sure that food containers are always covered when put in the refrigerator to prevent problems from arising.

בדי השלחן בב"ח צה:קאנזהרים שלא כתב המהרש"ל שהעולם להניח קדירת חלב במקום שהניחו שםדיש איפכא) (או בשר קדירת מקודם לחוש שנשפך שם מתחלה מהמאכל של בשר ושוב יהא נבלע בקדירת החלב ואף על פי שצונן לא בלע אפילו הכי החמירוהקדירה תהיה שלפעמים מפני בדבר

חמה ולאו אדעתיה עכ"ד. ויש להיזהר בזה ובכיוצא בוחלב למאכלי ליחד המקרר לתוך מאכלים בנתינת מקום לעצמם ולמאכלי בשר מקום לעצמם ומה טוב לדקדק שיהיו המאכלים שבמקרר מכוסים תמיד שבזה .ימנע עצמו מן המכשול

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT: SEPARATE SEATING

CHULLIN 103B

All meats are not allowed to be put on a table where one is eating cheese.

:חולין קג

.כל הבשר...אסור להעלות עם הגבינה על השלחן

CHACHMAS ADAM 40:11

Since meat and milk are each permissible on their own and people are accustomed to eating them, there is a concern that if they would both be on the table, one would eat them together. Furthermore, a person setting the table and serving the food might

make a mistake and place cheese in the hot meat pot (or vice versa) causing them to be cooked together. Our Sages tried to prevent this mistake by prohibiting eating at a table with both meat and dairy foods.

חכמת אדם כלל מ:יא

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עצמו בפני ואחד אחד כל מותר וחלב דבשר כיוון יהיו שאם חכמים חששו תמיד בהם רגיל והאדם אלא עוד ולא יחד. משניהם יאכל לפניו שניהם שלפעמים יטעה מסדר השלחן שיצטרך להעלות על

השלחן לזה בשר וזה גבינה ויניח הגבינה באותו אלפס רותח שמונח בו הבשר ונמצא דניתבשלו יחד ואסור מןעל השלחן להעלות דאסור חז"ל גזרו ולכן התורה, .בשר וגבינה כאחד

KITZUR SHULCHAN ARUCH 46:6

Two Jewish people who know each other, even if they both do not allow the other to take their food, are not allowed to sit at the same table while one is eating milk and the other is eating meat, unless they make some type of visual reminder. For example, each one eats on a separate tablecloth or they place an object which is not regularly there in between them.

קצור שלחן ערוך מו:ו

הם אפילו זה, את זה המכירים ישראלים שני מקפידים זה על זה, אסור להם לאכול בשלחן אחד, זה בשר וזה מאכל חלב, עד שיעשו איזו הכר, כגון

על אחד כל שיאכל מפה שלו, או שיניחו עלהמאכלים בין השלחן דרכו שאין דבר איזה .להיות שם


The prohibition of eating at a table with milk and meat on it applies to two people who know each other…but two strangers would be allowed to eat at the same table, one eating meat and the other milk.

שלחן ערוך יורה דעה פח:ב

השלחן על להעלותו הדאסור בני אדם המכירים דוקא בשני זה את זה...אבל אכסנאים שאין .מכירים זה את זה מותר

PISCHEI TESHUVA YD 88:3

The poskim (Jewish legal authorities) write that if people are sitting so far away from each other that they cannot stick out their hands to take what their friend is eating, it would be permissible to eat at the same table without a visual reminder.

פתחי תשובה יורה דעה פח:ג

דביושבים המהרש"ל בשם הב"ח כתב יכול האחד זה מזה בכדי שאין רחוקים חבירו שאוכל ממה ולאכול ידו לפשוט .שרי לדברי הכל בלא הכירא

BADEI HASHULCHAN 88:26 “One person eating milk and a person eating meat should not drink from the

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same cup because of the food residue which gets stuck on the cup” – even if the two people are sitting at different tables they can’t drink from the same cup.

בדי השלחן בב"ח פח:כו

יהיו זהירים שלא לשתות מכלי אחד משום שמאכל"שני אפילו ישתו מכלי אחד לא לכן – בכלי" נדבק הם אפילו וכן זה את זה מכירים שאין אכסנאים .אוכלים בשתי שלחנות לא ישתו מכוס אחד

BREAK ON THROUGH TO THE OTHER SIDE: SWITCHING TO THE OTHER מין

DAIRY MEAT

RAMA YOREH DEAH 89:2

One who ate cheese can eat meat immediately afterward…he simply must rinse out his mouth, chew something to clear his palate, and wash his hands.

רמ"א יורה דעה פט:ב

מיד....רק בשר אחריו לאכול מותר גבינה אכל .יעשו קנוח והדחה ונטילת ידים

ARUCH HASHULCHAN YD 89:15

One who ate cheese and wants to now eat meat must clear the bread crumbs from his dairy meal off of the table…It is ideal that when one eats cheese or milk and wants to now eat meat, that he remove from the table the bread and other foods that he ate with the dairy meal, as well as switch the tablecloth and dishes before eating the meat. This is the prevalent custom.

ערוך השלחן יורה דעה פט:טו מי שאכל גבינה ורוצה לאכול בשר צריך לבער מעלמן הגבינה...ומצוה עם שאכלו פת שיורי השלחן המובחר כשאכל גבינה או חלב ורוצה לאכול בשר דיש להעביר מעל השלחן הלחם וכל המאכלים שאכלו עםאחר ולחם אחרת מפה ויפרוס המפה ועם החלב .וכלים אחרים ויאכל בשר וכן המנהג פשוט


Regarding pareve foods that one ate during the course of a meal, it seems that it depends on the way that they were taken from their serving containers: if they were taken using the utensils that one uses to eat his own food, then one should not eat the leftovers with the opposite type (milk or meat) since there is a concern that some of the type of food he was eating got put into the pareve food; however, if one takes the pareve food with a serving utensil used only for the pareve foods, it

would be permissible to eat the pareve foods with the opposite type (milk or meat). This is the basic law, but, ideally, all foods on the table when one ate cheese, should be removed and not eaten with meat,

especially when there are young children around who tend to touch everything.

בדי השלחן בב"ח פט:צט

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במשך שאוכלים סתמיים מאכלים שאר ולענין הסעודה כסלט וכדומה נראה שתלוי באופן לקיחתם מן הקערה שהם מונחים בה, שאם נוטלם במזלג או בכף שאוכל בו סעודתו אין לאכול עוד הנשאר עם המין שכנגדו דיש לחוש שנדבק אליו מן המין שאוכלאו כף המיוחד במזלג נוטל מהם עכשו, אבל אם

להם מותר לאכול הנשאר עם המין שכנגדו. וכל זהושאר פת שכל המובחר מן מצוה אבל הדין, מין יעבירום גבינה על השלחן כשאכל שהיו מאכלים שבמקום ונראה בשר. לאכול כשבא מהשלחן שנמצאים קטנים הממשמשים בכל יש אולי לחוש .לזה אף מדינא


The custom for hard cheeses is to not eat meat afterwards just like not eating cheese after meat.

רמ"א יורה דעה פט:ב

כן נוהגין כל שהגבינה קשה אין אוכלין אחריה אפילו בשר עוף כמו בגבינה אחר

.בשר

OUKOSHER.ORG

The Shach (89:16) explains that “hard cheese” as referenced by the Rama means cheese which has aged approximately six months. Poskim (Jewish legal authorities) note that after eating pungent, strong-tasting cheeses, one should similarly wait before eating meat, regardless of the cheese’s age. (Taz 89:4). Below is ]an excerpt from[ a list of many varieties of cheese (and the time they are aged) for which the OU’s poskim maintain that one must wait after eating that specific cheese before then partaking of meat.

Dry Monterey Jack: 7-10 months Cheddar (Medium, Sharp, Aged,

but not Regular): close to 6 months and up to 7 years

Emmental (Swiss Cheese-Switzerland): 6-14 months

Parmesan: 10-24 months or more

WAITING

WHY


The Rishonim (early commentators) debate the reason for needing to wait when going from meat to dairy. Some write the reason is because a thin film of

meat remains in the mouth and prolongs the taste of meat for a while. Thus, if someone were to eat cheese while this taste lingered in his mouth, it would seem like he was eating milk and meat together; therefore,

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our Sages protected us from violating the law of eating actual meat and cheese together…Others write the reason is because meat naturally has a tendency to get stuck between the teeth, so we refrain from eating cheese until that meat disintegrates.

בדי השלחן בב"ח פט:א

נחלקו הראשונים בטעמו של דין זה דיש שכתב הטעם מפני שאחר אכילת בשר נשארת שכבה

דקה של שמנונית דבוקה לתוכו של הפה ונמשךגבינה והאוכל ארוך זמן בפה הבשר טעם מזה וטעם זה עדיין בפיו נראה כאוכל בשר וחלב ביחדואסרוהו חכמים שמא יבא לאוכלם ביחד ממש...דחיישינן שנשאר בזה משום ויש שכתב הטעם הבשר דרך שכן השינים בין בשר של ממשות שיניו בין ויחצוץ ינקר ואפילו שם נאחז להיות .להוציאו אין סומכים על זה דשמא לא ניקר יפה

HOW LONG

CHULLIN 105A

Rav Chisda said “One who eats meat may not eat cheese ]afterwards[; one who eats cheese may eat meat ]afterwards[.”…Mar Ukva said, “I am like vinegar the son of wine: when my father eats meat he won’t eat cheese for 24 hours, but for me, when I eat meat, I just won’t eat cheese during that meal, but I’ll eat cheese in a different meal.”

.חולין קה

אמר רב חסדא אכל בשר אסור לאכול גבינה, אכל גבינה מותר לאכול בשר....אמר מר עוקבא אנא להא מלתא חלא בר חמרא לגבי אבא –כי הוה אכיל בשרא האידנא לא דאילו אבא ואילו השתא, עד למחר עד גבינה אכל הוה אכילנא, דלא הוא סועדתא בהא אנא .לסעודתא אחריתא אכילנא

ROSH CHULLIN 8:5

“A different meal” refers to the time that is normally between meals, meaning the time between the morning meal and the evening meal.

רא"ש חולין ח:ה

לסעודתא אחריתא אכילנא" – פרוש בזמנה שרגיל"זמן עד הבוקר סעודת מזמן דהיינו לסעוד אדם סעודת הערב, ופחות מכשעור זה אין לאכול גבינה .אחר בשר

FROM WHEN


When one ate pareve foods at the end of a meat meal, one must only wait from the end of the time he ate meat, and it would be permissible to start a new meal by eating pareve foods before the end of the waiting period, even if he plans, after the waiting period has passed, to eat dairy at that meal.

בדי השלחן בב"ח פט:ז במקרה שאכל בסוף סעודת בשרית מאכלים שאינם בשר נראה שאין צריך להמתין אלאלהתחיל רשאי וכן הבשר אכילת משעת ... סעודה ולאכול שאר מאכלים דלאו חלב אף על פי שיש בדעתו לאכול גם מאכלי חלב .באותה סעודה

FOR WHAT

CHIDDUSHEI R’ AKIVA EIGER YD 89:3

The custom now is to not eat foods cooked together with and which absorbed dairy taste גבינה) (תבשיל

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after eating foods that were merely cooked together with and absorbed the meat taste (תבשיל בשר).

חדושי רעק"א יורה דעה פט:ג

אחר גבינה בתבשיל אפילו איסור נהגו ועתה תבשיל בשר וקשה להקל ולהתיר בפניהם בסילק .ובירך


If the food was not cooked together with meat but was merely cooked in a pot used to cook meat, it is permissible to eat cheese immediately afterwards and there is no custom to be stringent.

רמ"א יורה דעה פט:ג

אם אין בשר בתבשיל רק שנתבשל בקדירה שלמנהג בו ואין גבינה אחריו לאכול מותר בשר .להחמיר

A TASTE OF THE טעם

BASED ON THE WRITINGS OF RAV SAMSON RAPHAEL HIRSCH

(HOREB CH. 57, BEREISHIS 1:11-13, SHEMOS 19:23)

TO EACH HIS OWN: למינו

G-d said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, seed scattering plants, fruit trees bearing fruit according to its species… (Bereishis 1:11). This verse contains one of the most fundamental laws governing the Divine order of the world: “למינו” (according to its species). G-d created and commanded that everything must live “according to its species.” This means that each item in creation is closed off (כלואים) from other species and has its own “genetic code” which it must follow to develop its form and characteristics and reproduce more of its own kind. The fact that each species obeys this command is direct testimony to G-d as creator and Lawgiver.

In commanding למינו, not only did G-d assign the unique nature and boundaries of every species, but He also assigned to each species its unique mission in creation. Each species has a special role that only that species can fulfill. G-d’s purpose in creation will only be achieved if each species lives according to its law of למינו – developing as it should and fulfilling its unique mission.

Humans are no exception to this law of למינו. We, too, are given our “genetic code,” which we must follow to allow us to develop the proper form, character, and everything else. Just like all other species, we were also given a unique role in creation. The Jew, in particular, was given an even more specific role amidst mankind. The universal law of ,for the Jew is the Torah למינו which contains the “code” for the way of life of the Jewish-human species.

With an awareness of how G-d commanded the Divine order of the world through the law of למינו, we will be better able to understand the lesson of the Torah’s prohibition of mixing meat and milk. Unlike other prohibitions related to food, the underlying reason for meat and milk has nothing to do with a direct physical or moral influence as a consequence of eating: merely combining the two מינים (categories) is prohibited. The underlying reason, therefore, must be symbolic: it must be to remind us of a reality of which we must be constantly aware.

Meat and Milk is part of a series of prohibitions that make us aware of the Divine order in creation (למינו). This series of forbidden mixtures are prohibited because they entail forcible interference with “the law of the species” – למינו – given to every living thing. When a person is showing mastery over the animal and vegetable kingdoms which G-d created for mankind’s benefit, these prohibitions remind us to be aware of the true

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Master of the world (G-d). In all realms of life the Torah has given us such a reminder of the Divine order of the world, which testifies to G-d as creator and Lawgiver: in agriculture (כלאי כרם), in labor (חרישה בשור .(בשר בחלב) and in the enjoyment of food (שעטנז) in dress ,(וחמור

These rules serve not only to remind us of the Divine order of the world, and consequently that G-d is the world’s true master, but they also remind us of our command of למינו. They remind us that we, too, must obey the “code” for the way of life of the Jewish-human species: the Torah! The laws of respecting the Divine order of creation help us to further internalize that our mission is to fulfill the Torah’s commands.

None of the other dietary laws dominates the Jewish kitchen and the Jewish table as much as the separation of meat and milk; and more than all other dietary laws, this separation is meant to be G-d’s messenger to make us aware of G-d, His Torah, and our duty as Jews.

PLANTS, ANIMALS, AND HUMANS: WHICH REALM DOMINATES WHICH?

To appreciate the fuller significance of the prohibition of meat and milk, we must examine three categories of organic life, each with its own character and ability, as well as consider the symbolism behind the biological functions of meat and milk.

The lowest level of organic life is vegetation. Nutrition and reproduction are the characteristic functions of the plant realm: plants receive nutrients from the soil and have the potential to multiply into more plants through pollination. Plants carry out these two functions passively, meaning they don’t seek out their food, nor do they themselves perform an act to reproduce. What differentiates plant life from the next realm of organic life is the active pursuit of nutrition and reproduction. In the animal realm, organisms acquire a body with senses and movement (nerves and muscles). In an animal, the senses and movement (animal realm) exist only to serve the functions of nutrition and reproduction (plant realm). Hunger (nutrition) and survival (reproduction) are the only needs that the animal perceives with its senses and the only needs that activate the animal’s muscles to move.

Humans are the third category. Even though humans have the ability for nutrition and reproduction (plant realm), and the senses and movement to actively pursue those needs (animal realm), mankind is different. Humans are endowed with a third characteristic which distinguishes them as human beings: “a breath (נשמה) of the Divine.” This נשמה is a spirit of wisdom together with free will which can overpower the senses and movement of animalistic drives. The is meant to rule over the נשמה plant and animal elements, thus making man a “human being.” In humans, senses and movement do not have to be dominated by the drives for food and sex. Man’s task is to have the human intellect (נשמה) control both the plant element (nutrition and reproduction) and the animal element (senses and movement).

Understanding the character of each of these elements, we can now begin to understand the symbolism of meat and milk and the prohibition to combine them. The material that most strikingly characterizes the plant-like functions within animals is milk. It is nutritional material secreted for the purpose of carrying on the species (survival/reproduction). Meat, however, represents the animal functions: the body with muscles, tissue, and fat. Within this framework we see that Meat and Milk (בשר בחלב) symbolizes the essential nature of the animal realm: senses and movement working exclusively for the drives of nutrition and sexuality. The combination of meat and milk represents lowering the human being, who is endowed with moral freedom to choose whether or not to satisfy his drives, to the level of the un-free, instinct-

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bound animal. When meat and milk are mixed through cooking, it signifies the opposite of human destiny and would be a serious mockery of the law of למינו given to man.

We must be aware that the relationship between “meat” and “milk” which existed in the animal realm (i.e. the senses and movement working only to satisfy the drives for nutrition and reproduction) must be completely different from their relationship in the human realm (i.e. the intellect’s control over all desires).

Just at the moment when we are about to consume animal matter and make it part of our being, the laws of meat and milk remind us to remain aware of our higher calling as members of the human species: we are not to permit the human body to sink to the level of animals; rather, we are to elevate this animal matter to the heights of the destiny of the human body.

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A three-fold prohibition and... · Web viewThe Torah uses the word “Don’t cook” to teach that, on a Torah level, milk and meat are prohibited only when they are “cooked”