26 Shemini: Day 7 (Saturday) | Truth and Fiction

 

Today's reading is Leviticus 11:33 to 11:47.

This is the link to Daily Chumash with Rashi at Chabad.

The Daily Wisdom from the Lubavitcher Rebbe is titled "Avoiding Being Duped."

17 Nisan 5786 AM | 1 AVE. Shabbat.

6:49 AM EDT in Albany. Jonathan writes: Let me conclude this week in my own words, and let me resolve to write all of next week's Torah with Jonathan entries in my own words, too.

The Rebbe's commentary on Leviticus 11:47 is highly elevated. To avoid being duped, we don't want to neglect Rashi's commentary on the passage. That feeling of stoppage in the throat as our vegan soul reads Rashi discuss the distinction between a trachea that is just less than half cut versus just more than half cut is well worth noting. If we follow the Rebbe's elevated commentary - and we must - there is a risk that we will neglect the reality of our path on the ground.

Consider the issues at play in this verse. First, there is the restriction of the chosen people of God to the consumption only of clean animals. Then, there is the additional restriction that the products of these clean animals should only be obtained through humane methods. Third, there is the additional restriction that these products cannot retain any blood. The overwhelming weight of the restrictions is toward the refinement of profoundly clean vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian diets.   

Some Torah fundamentalists will contend that Hashem has ordained the ritual slaughter of clean animals in perpetuity, while others will contend that Hashem has clearly aimed the Torah - and General Revelation - at the Jewish national embrace of Messianic Veganism.

Critical vegan theologians and philosophers will argue that God never commanded a distinction between clean and unclean animals, or between "humane" and "cruel" methods of slaughter. "The Torah has been corrupted," they may say, or "The Torah was never Divine Revelation, but only a human creation on the path to Truth."

At this point - and my view is subject to change as I continue to learn - I think a dispensational view best fits the evidence at hand, i.e., the evidence afforded to us by General Revelation and by the Torah.

Illustrated by Gemini.

End 8:08 AM.