This week's Torah portion, Shemini (Leviticus 9:1-11:47) contains one of those biblical events that tend to generate a lot of comment, controversy and confusion.
Now Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu each took his fire pan, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered before the Lord alien fire, which He had not enjoined upon them. And fire came forth from the Lord and consumed them; thus they died at the instance of the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the Lord meant when He said:
Through those near to Me I show Myself holy,
And gain glory before all the people."
And Aaron was silent.
I'm not even going to try to comment seriously on that bit right now. The High Priest's sons are both incinerated by God for committing some vague offense, and Aaron is "silent." You could write a hefty essay on that last line alone. But perhaps it was one way of saying "Pay attention to the details here, folks, because one little mistake, even with the best of intentions, and you could end up as soot."
The "details" that follow consist of a lot of rules and regulations (this is Leviticus, after all), including the core of the rules of kashrut. For those who might be wondering where the extensive Jewish dietary restrictions have their origin, this would be the place.
These are the creatures that you may eat from among all the land animals: any animal that has true hoofs, with clefts through the hoofs, and that chews the cud--such you may eat. The following, however, of those that either chew the cud or have true hoofs, you shall not eat: the camel--although it chews the cud, it has no true hoofs: it is unclean for you; the daman--although it chews the cud, it has no true hoofs: it is unclean for you; the hare--although it chews the cud, it has no true hoofs: it is unclean for you; and the swine--although it has true hoofs, with the hoofs cleft through, it does not chew the cud: it is unclean for you. You shall not eat of their flesh or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.
These you may eat of all that live in water: anything in water, whether in the seas or in the streams, that has fins and scales--these you may eat. But anything in the seas or in the streams that has no fins and scales, among all the swarming things of the water and among all the other living creatures that are in the water--they are an abomination for you and an abomination for you they shall remain: you shall not eat of their flesh and you shall abominate their carcasses. Everything in water that has no fins and scales shall be an abomination for you.
Then come birds and creepy crawly things. It's enlightening reading.
Well, we've come to the end of a tough week.
Shabbat Shalom.
