Is there a known reason for keeping kashrut or is it a set of guidelines proposed by sages who we respect and don't question the logic behind?
Is there anything in the Torah that suggests kashrut?
Answer
These prohibitions come from the Torah, Leviticus 11. The sages added boundaries and stringencies but the source is from the Torah.
There are explanations given behind Kashrut, although the Torah does not explain them, nor are they dependent on the explanations.
For one explanation, Rabbi S. R. Hirsch, in Horeb (Chukim ch. 68 paragraph 464) says that the laws of Kashrut are because "you are what you eat," i.e. imbibing something symbolizes and in a certain respect creates an internalization of that thing. Therefore, vicious animals are prohibited to ingest because it internalizes viciousness. Rather, kosher animals are gentle - split hooves cannot be used as predatory, and chewing cud gives a certain nature of contentment with very little. Similar ideas are explained for all the types of non-Kosher (fish, creepy crawly things, etc.).
No comments:
Post a Comment