Ki Sisa: Mind Over Nature "Do not cook a kid in its mother’s milk." (Exodus 34:26).
"I can't change my nature!"
No, you can't change it, but you CAN CONTROL IT!
Judaism stresses overcoming your natural inclinations (yetzer) and not allowing them to control you! An underlying reasoning for many of the Torah's prohibitions is exactly this*. One should think about what one is about to do-even something as instinctual and natural as eating and drinking. For example: It's an extremely hot day. You pass an ice cream store and stare greedily at the window before going in. STOP. Is it kosher? Yes! Good-but...oh-you had a hamburger for lunch a half hour ago. You have to wait or settle for some ices. Your desire for ice cream has to take a back seat to the prohibition of mixing meat and milk. Your will has overcome your nature.
Why are mixtures of meat and milk forbidden? Avraham Ibn Ezra, a 12th century Spanish commentator gives us some insight in his commentary to Exodus 23:19, the first place in which the prohibition is stated. He stresses the cruelty involved in cooking a baby goat (or same other baby animal) in its mothers milk. The milk that gives life to the baby animal should not be the instrument of its death. Even milk bought at a supermarket represents the life of the kid (lamb, calf....) who knows-perhaps the mother contributed to that bottle!
Animals have to act according to instinct. Humans do not! The Torah teaches us to "think before you act" and gives us tools to accomplish this goal! In our case of milk and meat, the Torah gives us a lesson in humanity. If this is how considerate we have to be of the animals "feelings", all the more so do we have to be towards our fellow man.
*Dr. Aharon Bart, “Mitzvos: Why Were They Given” (p 8-9). |
