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Shmini This you should not eat...the camel because it chews its cud but does not have split hooves...and the hyrax because it chews its cud but will not have split hooves...the hare because it chews its cud but did not have split hooves...the pig because it has split hooves but does not chew its cud the camel...does not....the hyrax...will not....the hare...did not. The different tenses used here, teach us; When we are trying to work out if something is to be considered impure and not permitted to be used or permitted, we must not only see the present but look at its antecedents and its future as well. If the past, future or the present situation tells us this is, was or will be impure, it is sufficient reason to reject it. Why does the Torah list the positive sign in addition to the negative one? The reason why the camel is impure is not because it chews its cud, but because it does not have true split hooves. From here we see, told me the Sasover Rebbe, that even when dealing with camels and pigs - we must not forget what is good about them! Among all the animals listed only the pig displays its 'kosher' hooves while hiding its lack of chewing the cud. The Medrash associates these four non kosher animals to the four eras of non Jewish dominion over the Jewish people. The final one is represented by Rome. Rav Noach Weinberg tells the following story: In a nursing home in America there were only three Jewish residents. The Jewish director served them only kosher food. During a government inspection, an elderly ninety-five year old lady complained that her food was different to everyone else's. When the inspector demanded an explanation, the director told him the truth. Unimpressed, the inspector insisted that the elderly lady's wishes be followed. The director realising he was in trouble, attempted to convince the lady of the benefits of the kosher food. "It is much tastier and healthier," he told her. "What do I taste at ninety-five!" she responded, "I just do not want to be different. As for health - how much longer will I live anyway." So the director tried another approach. He spoke to this elderly lady, who had been non-observant her entire life, about the beauty of Torah and keeping the Mitzvos. Eventually he touched her and she began lighting Shabbos candles, reciting Brachos and of course, eating only Kosher foods. Upon hearing this story from the director of the home, Rabbi Wienberg asked him, "What exactly did you say to convince this lady to become observant?" The fellow replied, "I do not really know... I can not remeber what I said... All I know is I begged, pleaded, explained coaxed... You see, I had to get her to keep kosher, otherwise they would have closed the home down... I simply had no choice." Rabbi Weinberg reflected: If only we would reach out to ourselves and to every non-observant Jew with the urgency this man felt when he spoke to this old lady! If only we could feel that we have no choice, that we can not rest until we have taught them of the beauty of Torah and Mitzvos. We could then be guaranteed success. With this sense of urgency, that otherwise we will be closed down, by those who have a drive and a sense of urgency of their different message, we will galvanised to respond. |
