Meat and Milk – let’s not lose focus

It’s too easy to discount the bulk of Jewish tradition and throw it to the wind in the name of progress and intellectual prowess.

The truth is, that if we dig deep we often find that the surface reasons for many traditions and customs that seem to be merely a product of the times or a product of rabbinic interpretation, in fact contain within them profound insights that would boggle the mind of the greatest professors and scientists. (I invite anybody reading this to spend an afternoon together to study some of these customs and rabbinic institutions.)

One such example would be the laws surrounding meat and milk, which are actually Biblical in origin although passed down to us via the Oral Tradition or what is known as Halacha Moshe MiSinai – the Law of Moses from Sinai.

The basic law is based on the fact that the Torah in three separate instances says “do not cook a kid in its’ mothers milk” one of which is in this weeks Torah portion. The Oral tradition tells us that the three times is to tell us not to cook meat and milk, not to eat meat and milk and not to derive benefit or pleasure from a mixture of meat and milk.

Regarding the prohibition of not eating meat and milk we are taught that when one eats meat one needs to wait 6 hours before eating milk or dairy products. However, when eating milk or dairy products one technically need only rinse out ones mouth and we are permitted to eat meat immediately (various traditions have accepted to wait 30 minutes or an hour except in instances of certain aged cheeses).

Meat which comes from an animal and is typically red and bloody (before the koshering process) represents Gevurah or discipline. Milk which is the original nourishment of animal life and human life and is white represents Chesed or loving-kindness.

We have a rule in Jewish mysticism that, that which is lower has the power over that which is above it.

Accordingly, if you consume meat first, the discipline dominates over the kindness and we need to give time for the discipline to subside so that the kindness doesn’t get overlooked or washed away. Conversely, when kindness is consumed first, when the dairy is consumed first, it overpowers the discipline and influences it in a positive manner.

The lesson is clear. 1. The Torah has profound insight beyond the simple observance of the law. 2. In everything we do in life, the Torah’s ways are ways of loving-kindness and we ought to find a way to allow for the kindness to dominate.

Have a great Shabbos!

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