Parashat Shmini

Transcending Rationalization: The Mystery of Torah's Distinctions

The tension between the laws of kashrut (Jewish dietary laws) and understanding the Torah centers on a fundamental question: Why these specific laws, and how should we approach them when their rationale isn't immediately clear?

 

On one side of this tension is our natural human desire to understand. We want to know why certain animals are permitted while others are forbidden. Why is a pig prohibited but a cow allowed? Why can we eat certain fish but not others? Throughout generations, commentators have attempted to provide rational explanations—medical benefits (avoiding diseases), psychological development, or spiritual growth. These explanations feel satisfying because they place the commandments within a framework we can comprehend.

 

However, the other side of this tension is the recognition that divine commandments may transcend human understanding. The text points out that the Torah intertwines two separate concepts—animals that may not be eaten and creatures that convey ritual impurity—suggesting a deeper purpose beyond practical benefit. Approaching Torah purely for practical benefits diminishes its divine nature. The Torah wasn't given merely to provide health advice or psychological guidance—things we could discover on our own. When we insist on practical or rational explanations for every commandment, we risk reducing Torah to something smaller than it is.

 

This creates a profound spiritual challenge: Can we commit ourselves to observances whose full meaning remains beyond our grasp? Can we follow these laws not because we understand their benefit, but because we recognize that they connect us to something greater? As the passage suggests, there is dignity and depth in acknowledging that some aspects of divine wisdom remain mysterious—not because they lack meaning, but because their meaning may exceed our current capacity to comprehend it fully. As the Kotzker Rebbe wisely noted: “A God who can be understood by anyone is not worth serving.”