From: office@etzion.org.il
To: yhe-intparsha@vbm-torah.org
Subject: IntParsha61: 42 Re'eh
YESHIVAT HAR ETZION
ISRAEL KOSCHITZKY VIRTUAL BEIT MIDRASH (VBM)
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PARASHAT RE'EH
The Consumption of Meat
By Michael Hattin
Introduction
Parashat Re'eh begins with additional rites to be
fulfilled when the people of Israel enter the land.
Moshe instructs the people that the 'Blessings' and
'Curses' are to be administered as they assemble
according to tribe in the valley between Mount Gerizim
and Mount Eval, after their arrival in the land, and
there the war against idolatry and immorality is to be
formally initiated. Moshe goes on to again warn the
people not to succumb to the attractions of polytheism,
but rather to wipe out any traces of its widespread
worship so that the True God can be served faithfully.
He reinforces his directive with a subsequent series of
extreme pronouncements directed against the false prophet
(13:2-6), the 'inciter' (13:7-12), and the city 'led
astray' (13:13-19). In all three cases, the elements
responsible for the idolatrous undoing are to be
destroyed, as the message is forcefully driven home that
idol worship cannot be sanctioned.
In glaring contrast to the rampant service of idols that
takes place 'on the high mountains and hills and under
every leafy tree' (12:2), the worship of the God of
Israel is to be confined to one central temple whose
location 'God will choose'. In consonance with the
revolutionary idea of a single, absolute Deity, there is
to be a single, unequivocal sanctuary where that God is
to be served. "There you shall bring your burnt
offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and donations, your
vows and free-will offerings, the first born of your
cattle and sheep" (12:6). No local sacrificial shrines
are to be erected to God's service, for although prayer
is deemed efficacious at every location, sacrifice is an
affront when practiced outside of the Temple's precincts.
The Implications of a Single Shrine
The compelling idea of a single center of worship was not
implausible as long as the people wandered the wilderness
accompanied by God's portable sanctuary. Then, the
'Mishkan' or Tabernacle was the focal point of the
Israelite camp, and the arrangement of the tribes around
it was a direct function of its paramount significance.
The absolute decree to offer sacrifice only at the
Tabernacle was not at odds with the limited confines of
the camp and was actually affirmed by it, for it was
never an intolerable inconvenience to make the trek to
the Tabernacle's precincts.
In fact, according to one Talmudic view, that of Rabbi
Yishmael (see Tractate Chullin 16b), as long as the
people of Israel journeyed through the Midbar, not only
was all sacrifice outlawed outside of the Tabernacle, but
ANY consumption of meat was proscribed beyond its
territory: "God spoke to Moshe saying: 'Speak to Aharon
and his children and to the entire people of Israel and
say to them that God has commanded the following. If any
man from the House of Israel slaughters an ox, sheep or
goat whether inside the camp or outside of it, but
neglects to bring it to the opening of the Tent of
Meeting as a sacrifice to God at God's sanctuary, then
that man shall be regarded as one who spills blood, and
he shall be cut off from among his people. This is in
order that Bnei Yisrael shall instead bring their animals
that they slaughter in the fields to the opening of the
Tent of Meeting to the Cohen, to offer them as peace
offerings to God. The Cohen shall throw the blood upon
God's altar at the opening of the Tent of Meeting and
shall offer the fat as a sweet-smelling savor to God.
Thus, the people shall no longer offer their animals to
the satyrs after whom they stray. This shall be an
eternal decree for all generations. Say to them further
that if any man from among the people of Israel or a
convert that dwells among them presents a burnt offering
or sacrifice, but neglects to bring it at the opening of
the Tent of Meeting for the sake of God, then that man
shall be cut off from his people. If any man from the
people of Israel or a convert that dwells among them
shall consume any blood, then I shall direct My gaze
towards the soul that has consumed the blood and cut it
off from among its people.'" (VaYikra 17:1-10).
The above passage thus speaks of three discrete issues:
firstly, all those interested in the consumption of meat
must bring their animal as a peace offering to the
Tabernacle and only then may they eat the meat in the
context of a sacrificial meal. This legislation was
introduced by the Torah as a preventative measure
designed to discourage the people from reverting back to
their idolatrous ways, and therefore they were enjoined
to present all animals, even those designated primarily
for consumption, as sacrifices to God. The peace
offering of which the passage speaks was in the main
consumed by the supplicant and his entourage, with only
the blood, fat, and some internal organs offered upon the
altar. Thus, the meat of the animal could be eaten,
while its slaughter in the name of some idolatrous demon
could be prevented. The second matter enjoined by the
passage is a prohibition of presenting any animals as
sacrifices outside of the Tabernacle's confines. Though
a person may desire to sincerely offer a sacrifice to
God, such worship must only take place at the Tabernacle
and no where else within the camp or outside of it.
Finally, the passage introduces a prohibition concerning
the consumption of blood, and spells out severe
consequences for those that abrogate it.
These provisions were, as stated earlier, not overly
onerous as long as the people were in the wilderness and
the Tabernacle was in close proximity to all members of
the camp. For a period of close to forty years,
certainly long enough to inculcate proper conduct and to
extirpate idolatrous tendencies, no meat was consumed by
the people except as sacrifices prepared by the Cohanim.
The control that a single center of worship implied,
ensured that slowly but surely idol worship was removed
from the people's spiritual vocabulary. Poised to enter
the land, however, the people of Israel would soon
experience a new reality in which most of the population
would establish their place of dwelling far away from the
single center of worship. How would the vast majority of
the citizens of Israel be able to fulfill their
sacrificial obligations or to simply enjoy the
consumption of meat?
Addressing the New Reality
In our Parasha of Re'eh, this matter is addressed, as the
reality of distance from the Temple or central shrine
begins to loom large. "When God expands your borders as
He stated to you and you shall say 'I want to eat meat',
if your soul desires to consume meat, then you shall eat
meat according to your heart's desire. When the place
that God shall choose to associate with His name shall be
far from you, then you shall slaughter as I have
commanded from your cattle or flocks that God has given
you, and consume it within your own gates according to
your heart's desire. Just as one eats the hart or
antelope so shall you eat it, the 'Tameh' and the 'Tahor'
shall eat it as one. Be however, very careful not to
consume the blood, for the blood is the soul. Do not eat
the soul with the flesh.Your holy sacrifices and your
obligations, however, must be brought to the place that
God will choose. You shall offer the flesh and blood of
your burnt offerings upon the altar of God your Lord, but
the blood of your peace offerings shall be poured upon
the altar of God your Lord while their flesh you may
consume. Observe and pay attention to all of these
things that I command you, in order that it shall be good
for you and your children that follow you forever, when
you do that which is good and upright in the eyes of God
your Lord" (Devarim 12:20-28).
In this passage that is so reminiscent of the earlier one
from the Book of VaYikra, the same three intertwined
issues are addressed: the consumption of ordinary meat,
the presentation of sacrifices, and the prohibition of
the blood. Here, however, in contrast to the passage in
VaYikra, oneof the three matters is dealt with
differently: sacrificial animals must still be brought to
the central sanctuary, blood in all of its forms is still
prohibited, but ordinary animals can henceforth be
consumed everywhere.
The Commentary of the Ramban
The Ramban, explaining the passage in VaYikra, has the
following to say: "The correct interpretation of this
passage accords with what our Sages explained that the
text there outlaws the consumption of meat as long as the
people of Israel were in the wilderness. They were not
to eat it except as peace offerings sacrificed upon God's
altar. Therefore, the verses state that anyone who
desires to slaughter one of the three types of animals
acceptable as sacrifices, namely cattle, sheep and goats,
must bring them to the opening of the Tent of Meeting as
peace offerings. The blood and fat of the animal must be
offered on the altar of God and only then may the meat be
consumed. Slaughtering animals anywhere else incurred
the penalty of excision.Thus, all animals, whether
ordinary or sacrificial, were only to be slaughtered at
the precincts of the Tabernacle" (commentary to VaYikra
17:2-3).
Addressing himself to our passage in Parashat Re'eh, the
Ramban continues: "In Mishne Torah, the verses state that
'when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land,
then you shall present your burnt offerings and peace
offerings at the place that God will choose' (Devarim
12:1-11). Furthermore, it states that 'you shall be
careful not to offer your burnt offerings wherever you
desire. Only at the place that God will choose.'
(Devarim 12:13-14). Thus, the prohibition concerning
offering sacrifice outside of the Temple precincts is to
remain in place, but the slaughter of ordinary animals is
henceforth permitted everywhere.The rationale for this is
stated in the verse: 'When God expands your borders.' The
original prohibition of consuming meat in the wilderness,
except when presented as a sacrifice was instituted
because at that time it was quite easy for the people to
present any animals for slaughter at the opening of the
Tent of Meeting. But after the expansion of their
borders, that would no longer be possible and therefore
they are permitted to consume meat according to their
heart's desire by slaughtering it within their gates."
(commentary to VaYikra 17:2-3).
The Ramban completes the picture with his comments on our
passage in the Book of Devarim: "The phrase that allows
for slaughter when one is 'distant' from the sanctuary is
not meant to imply that it is physical distance that is
required, for if that were the case then the people of
Jerusalem would not be permitted to consume ordinary meat
except when brought as a sacrifice. Rather, the text
addresses the entire people of Israel. It states that
when God expands their borders so that most of them will
no longer dwell in proximity to the Tabernacle as they
currently do while in the wilderness, then ordinary meat
will be permitted to them when it is slaughtered
properly. It is not reasonable to expect the people to
journey from distant places to the sanctuary every time
that they desire to consume meat, in order to offer it in
the form of a sacrifice" (commentary to Devarim 12:20).
Redefining the Consumption of Meat
Although the consumption of ordinary meat is here cast
and recast in the mold of the eradication of idolatry and
proximity to the Tabernacle, the discussion has important
general implications as well. The initial provisions of
the Torah were meant to ensure that the people would
abandon idolatrous sacrifice and begin to embrace the new
concept of a single, all-powerful God Who was aware of
their individual lives and cared. An important by-
product of the exercise, however, was the inculcation of
self-discipline with respect to the consumption of meat.
Animals were not to be cavalierly slaughtered and
consumed, for there was effort to be involved in their
preparation. They had to first be presented to the
Cohanim, sacrificed accordingly, and only then consumed
with all the rigors of sacrificial meat. In other words,
eating meat was treated as a special experience requiring
unusual preparations.
After the people entered the land and ordinary meat
consumption was permitted 'within their gates', the
original association with eliminating idolatry was
forgotten, for it was no longer relevant. However, the
notion of self-discipline, of eating meat as a function
of special preparations, was preserved by the Sages in a
most unusual and original manner. Commenting on the
'desire' that the Torah associates with the consumption
of meat, the Sages remark that "the Torah here teaches a
rule of conduct, that a person should not eat meat unless
he has a special appetite for it" (Tractate Chullin 84a).
The Talmudic passage goes on to modify this principle of
the Sages and to interpret it in economic terms, but the
element of self-discipline that constitutes its starting
point was not entirely neglected. Thus, the section
concludes (and so Maimonides rules in his Mishne Torah,
Hilchot De'ot Chapter 5:10) that the average person ought
to content themselves with consuming meat from 'one
Sabbath eve to the next'. In other words, in line with
other Torah legislation that seeks to not only prohibit
injurious practices, or to limit selfish ones, but also
to elevate and sanctify mundane activities, the Torah
places a qualification upon eating meat. This of course
has positive consequences for the consumer as well as for
the consumed.
In the modern age, meat consumption has reached epidemic
proportions in developed countries. Modern methods of
animal production and processing have not only put the
possibility of a steady meat diet within the reach of
every person, but continue to be geared to the nurturing
of an insatiable desire for animal protein that spirals
ever higher out of control. As a society, we have lost
sight of the inherent moral discomfort that ought to be
associated with the consumption of other creatures. The
freeze wrapped, sterile and tastefully packaged cut of
meat that graces supermarket shelves today in ever
increasing quantities, bears absolutely no resemblance to
the animal or bird that was killed so that we might eat.
Of course, the Torah permits the consumption of other
creatures, but we would do well to bear in mind that such
permission is not granted with impunity. Humane
slaughter must be performed, all blood must be removed,
and meat and milk must not be mixed. The additional but
not insignificant element of self-discipline introduced
above must temper the whole experience, if we are to
succeed in living sensitive lives that are near to God.
Perhaps the early associations of unrestricted meat
consumption and idolatry are not as archaic as one might
imagine.
Shabbat Shalom
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