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Parashat Tzav (5725/1965)
Chapter 7,verses 22-25
The prohibition of eating helev.
A.
Lev.7:23 : "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: You shall eat no manner of fat of ox, or of sheep, or of goat ";
v. 26: "You shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of bird or of beast, in any of your dwellings".
Compare:
Lev.3:17: "It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that you eat neither fat nor blood".
In the total number of Commandments compiled by the Sefer Hahinuch (which follows Rambam's List of Commandments) the author lists the prohibition of eating fat and blood in our Parasha (Tzav) and not earlier in Parashat Vayikra, nor does he refer to that verse (3:17), where it appears for the first time. Can you explain why?
B.
Lev.7:24 : "And the fat of the beast that died and the fat of that which was torn by beasts may be put to any use, but you must not eat it":
Targum Yonatan Lev.7:24: The fat of a beast which became disqualified while being slaughtered or died during a plague and fat of an animal that was torn by a beast may be used for any work.
However, the fat of a kosher animal may be offered up on the altar, but must not be eaten.
xx 1. What surprises in his translation, and what prompted his interpretation?
xx 2. R.Naftali Hertz Wiesel in his Biur: According to the Translator Yonatan "this was said to that generation" the Desert generation. Explain Wiesel's (and D.Hofmann's) reason for this interpretation of Yonatan's Targum.
C. The reason of the prohibition to eat milk with meat
The Guide for the Perplexed III:48: The fat of the intestines makes us very fat, interrupts our digestion and produces cold and thick blood, it is more fit for fuel. Blood and nevela (flesh of an animal that died of itself) are indigestible and harmful as food".
Sefer Hahinukh Commandment 147: Not to eat helev: That we not eat helev of a pure (i.e., permitted for consumption) animal, as it is stated (Lev.7:23) "You shall eat no manner of fat of ox, or of sheep, or of goat ". I have already written about the prohibition of eating terefa in Parashat Mishpatim (Commandment 73) that since the body is the vessel for the soul through which it functions, and according to one's merits and temperament one will understand the way of the intelligence of the soul that there is in him and will follow its advice. It is for this reason that one must endeavor to see to the fitness of his body that it should be healthy and strong. It is well known that one's food influences the functioning of the body and its good or bad health, since the body wears out daily and healthy and good flesh will be replaced through good nourishment and bad food will have a deleterious effect. Hence it is one of G-d's great kindnesses bestowed upon us, His chosen people, to keep us from all food that is harmful to our bodies and produces harmful moisture. This is the principle in its simple sense in all forbidden food, as stated above. It is well known that fat clings to the body and produces bad moisture.
Sefer Hahinuch Commandment 73: Not to eat trefa:
Not to eat of trefa, as it is stated (Ex.22:30): "You shall not eat any meat torn by beasts in the field". Of the reasons of this Commandment is the fact that the body is the vessel for the soul through which it functions, and without which its (the soul's) work can never be accomplished. Hence it (the soul) comes in its (the body's) shadow and not to its detriment, since G-d would not cause ill but only good to all. Thus the the body is between its hands, like the tongs in the hand of the blacksmith with which he accomplishes his work which if strong and able to hold (grip) the objects the craftsman will achieve good results, but if the tongs are not good the vessels will not be serviceable. Likewise if there is a defect of any kind in the body, the function of the mind will be affected accordingly. It is for this reason that our perfect Torah keeps us away from anything that damages it.
This is the simple explanation for all the forbidden kinds of food. And let us not wonder if the harmful effect of some of them is unknown to us and to the medical experts for the trustworthy Healer Who warned us about them is wiser than they, and how foolish he who thinks that only what he can understand can cause damage or bring benefit, you should realize that it is for our benefit that the reason and the harm has not been revealed, lest men, convinced of their great wisdom, will rise and maintain that the harm caused by certain things declared by the Torah exists only in a certain place where this was decreed or only with a certain person who determined it. Lest one of the foolish be persuaded of this, their reason has not been revealed, to save us from this error.
Abrabanel: Leviticus Chapter 3:
and several reasons have been given for why actually G-d chose fat and blood to be offered up on the altar, and why He forbade Israel their
consumption?
thefourth reason that has been given is that health and beauty cause sinning, and blood causes good health and fat generates beauty. The one whose blood boils sins, as the youngsters do, and fat also causes sinning, as it is stated (Deut.32:15), "Yeshurun grew fat and kicked" it is therefore that G-d commanded to burn on the altar the two bodily elements that cause sinning, as an allusion that it is proper for a person to burn and annul his desires and all that causes him to sin
And I add a sixth reason: sin is associated with the red color and forgiveness is represented by white, as the Prophet states: "If your sins will be like scarlet they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be white as wool" (Is.1:18). The Lord therefore commanded to offer up on the altar the blood as an allusion to confessing their sins before Him, in the spirit of "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord" (Ps.32:5), and that they offer up also the fat as an allusion to forgiveness, as it is stated, "Yours is the power to forgive" (ib.130:4). Thus the blood and fat were offered up to indicate that just as the sins come before Him, so also does forgiveness come from Him.
1.Compare Rambam's reason for the prohibition of eating helev to his reason for the prohibition of the consumption of blood! What is the difference between the two reasons?
Rambam Guide for the Perplexed III:46:
Although blood was very unclean in the eyes of the Sabeans (pagans), they nevertheless partook of it, because they thought it was the food of the spirits, and by eating it man has something in common with the spirits, which joion him and tell him future events, according to the notion which people generally have of spirits. There were, however, people who objected to eating blood as a thing naturally disliked by man. They killed a beast, received the blood in a vessel or in a pot, and ate of the flesh of that beast, whilst sitting round the blood. They imagined that in this manner the spirits would come to partake of the blood which was their food whilst they (the people) were eating the flesh and thus the love, brotherood and friendship with the spirits were established because they all dined together at one table and in one group, that the spirits would appear to them in dreams, inform them of coming events and be favorable to them.
People accepted such ideas in those days, they were general, and their correctness was not doubted by the common people. Therefore the Torah which is perfect in the eyes of those who know it and seeks to cure mankind of these lasting diseases forbade the eating of blood, and emphasized the prohibition in exactly the same terms as it emphasizes idolatry: "I will set My face against that soul that eats blood etc." (Lev.17:10). The same language is employed in reference to him "who gives of his seed unto Molekh", "then I will set My face against that man etc." There is, besides idolatry and eating blood, no other sin in reference to which these words are used, for the eating of blood used to lead to a kind of idolatry, the worship of spirits. (TheTorah) declared the blood pure and made it the means of purifying what it was sprinkled upon: "And sprinkle it upon Aharon and upon his garments etc. And he shall be hallowed and his garments" (Ex 29:21). Furthermore (the Torah) commanded the blood to be sprinkled upon the altar, and the whole service was performed by pouring it out and not by collecting it. And (the Torah) says, "and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement" (Lev.17:11) and there it is poured out, as it is stated, "And he shall pour out all the blood" (Lev.4:18) (from the Gilayon of Parashat Tzav 1955.
2.What do Rambam and Sefer Hahinuch have in common and in what do they differ?
3.What do the two reasons given by Abrabanel have in common?
4.Wherein do the reasons given by Abrabanel differ basically from those of Rambam and Sefer Hahinuch?
5. Why, according to Sefer Hahinukh, have the reasons of the Commandments not been revealed?
6.Does Sefer Hahinukh agree on this issue with the Gemara's following statement:
Sanhedrin 21:
R.Yitzhak said: Why were the reasons of the Commandments not revealed? Because the reason of two (Commandments) have been revealed and they caused one of the great men of the world to stumble: The Torah states: "And he shall not have many wives, lest his heart go astray" (Deut.17:17). King Solomon said: "I am going to have many, and I will not go astray", and it is stated: "In his old age his wives turned away Solomon's heart" (1 Kings 11:4). Likewise it is stated, "He shall not keep many horses, lest he cause the people to return to Egypt to add to his horses" (Deut.17:16), but Solomon said: "I am going to have many horses and will not cause the return", and it is stated, "and a chariot going out of Egypt" (1 Kings 10:29).
D. Lev.7:25: "For whoever eats the fat of the beast of which men offer an offering made by fire to the Lord, the soul that
eats it shall be cut off from his people":
E.Rashbam Lev.7:25: "Fat of the beast of which men offer an offering: Of that kind of beast.
F.Ramban Lev.7:25: "For whoever eats the fat of the beast of which men offer an offering":
there is absolute proof that "of the beast of which men offer an offering" means, Of that kind of beast, from the chapter on fixed values vows (arachin)(27:9 below): "And if it be a beast of which men bring an offering to the Lord, all that any man gives of such to the Lord shall be holy" i.e., a beast of which a sacrifice is offered to the Lord. Likewise, "And if it be any unclean beast of which they do not offer a sacrifice to the Lord" (ib.ib.11), it is clearly stated, of an unclean beast of which one does not offer a sacrifice, it being immaterial whether it be in the plural "they offer" and "which they do not offer" or in the singular, "which he offers", both meaning, of which a person offers.
So also (11:39 below), "And if any beast of which you may eat, die" means the species - not itself permitted for consumption.
1. Against which concept of our verse are the words of the two (and all other) Commentators directed?
xx 2. What is Ramban's proof from Lev.27:9,11?
xx 3. What is Ramban's proof from Lev.11:39 and why does he bring the verse from a later chapter (27) before the earlier one (11)?
xx 4. Produce additional proof that only Rashbam's and Ramban's interpretation is possible (according to our Sages).
The questions marked x are difficult, those marked xx are particularly difficult.
Every person should answer according to his/her ability.
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