A Strange Answer

 

 

 

A Strange Answer 

 

 

Shalom,

 

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This week’s Torah portion, Sh’mini lists signs of kosher animals.

 

Regarding fish, the Torah tells: 

 

אֶת-זֶה, תֹּאכְלוּ, מִכֹּל, אֲשֶׁר בַּמָּיִם:  כֹּל אֲשֶׁר-לוֹ סְנַפִּיר וְקַשְׂקֶשֶׂת בַּמַּיִם, בַּיַּמִּים וּבַנְּחָלִים–אֹתָם תֹּאכֵלוּ

 

 

This may you eat of all that is in the waters: everything that has fins and scales, you may eat. But anything that has no fins and scales, you may not eat. (Lev. 11: 9). 

 

For a fish to be kosher, it needs both fins and scales.

 

Why are fins and scales the characteristics that distinguish kosher fish?

 

What is special about these two identifying signs to deem such fish being Kosher?

 

The Talmud (Tractate Niddah 51b) has a fascinating statement:

 

“All fish that have scales also have fins (meaning, these are kosher), but there are fish that have fins but do not have scales (meaning – these are not kosher).” 

 

 

The Talmud then asks: If a fish which has scales, inevitably has fins, why the need for both signs? The Torah could have written only ‘scales,’ without having to also write ‘fins?'” 

 

The Talmud answers: “This is so that the Torah should be increased and made great.”

 

 

This is a very strange answer!!!

 

How is it that presenting two signs, when only one is enough, makes the Torah “greater”?

 

Our Sages explain that the food a person consumes has a profound effect on his or her psyche, and they teach that the physical attributes of all animals reflect their psychological and spiritual qualities.

 

Therefore, when a person eats the flesh of a particular creature, the inner personality of that creature affects the person.

 

Scales shield and protect the body of the fish – they represent the quality of integrity, which protects people from falling prey to the many pitfalls that life presents.

 

 

 

 

Fins are the organs, the engine that propels fish forward. They represent the drive for achievement. They drive us to fulfill our dreams.

 

 

 

Fins and scales embody two qualities embedded in the souls of these types of fish that are necessary for the correct and healthy development of the human character.

 

When a person consumes the substance of such fish, he becomes a better and more refined and balanced human being.

 

Contrary to that, when a person consumes fish lacking one or all of these characteristics, it may cause the person to get out of the “spiritual balance.”

As we saw, the Talmud teaches that all fish that have scales, also have fins.

 

(To this day all attempts to find fish with scales but with no fins were unsuccessful). 

 

But there are fish that have fins but do not have scales and are thus non-kosher.

 

On a deeper level, this symbolizes the idea that a human being who possesses fins (the drive to achieve goals) may still lack scales (integrity) and thus remain “non-kosher.”

 

Achievements of such a person may be ‘not kosher’ – corrupt. Being ambitious and confident does not guarantee moral integrity.

 

And again, the Talmud teaches that all fish with scales also have fins.

 

“If so,” asks the Talmud, “the Torah could have written only ‘scales,’ without also having to mention ‘fins.'”

 

On the spiritual level, the Talmud may be presenting the following questions:

• Why is it important to emphasize the need for fins in developing a moral human being?

   

• Why not just focus on integrity and ethics?
   
• Why does an emphasis on ambition constitute part of being moral?

The Talmud’s answer is outstanding:

 

This is so that ‘Torah be increased and made great.’

 

This means that our spiritual mission consists not only of professing integrity and morality but also of developing our full potential materially and spiritually. 

 

If we approach life with truth and integrity (scales), we will eventually succeed and develop the propelling ambition (fins) as well.

 

 

 

 

The Torah tells us to be ethical and moral, but it also wants us to succeed in life by utilizing our resources so that the light of Torah penetrates the entire universe to make the Torah “great.”

 

HEBREW CORNER 

 

כדג במים – K’DAG BAMAYIM 

 

Lit.  ‘Like a fish in the water.’  

 

Meaning – feels at ease/comfortable with the task/environment. 

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