English translation — עמוד 1108

That which Rashi brings the exposition of Rabbi Yishmael,

that "in the desert, non-sacred meat was forbidden to them",

although the halacha does not remain according to him,

is no wonder,

because "these and those are words of the living God"⁶

— and Rashi,

who is not a decisor but a commentator⁷

and especially in his commentary on the Tanakh,

he, for a certain reason, chose here the exposition of Rabbi Yishmael.

It is, however, not understood,

how does Rashi bring both expositions,

both of Rabbi Yishmael and of Rabbi Akiva,

directly one after the other,

although they are seemingly contradictory interpretations of the verse: if the "for He will enlarge" means the expansion of borders literally,

which refers to the entry into the Land of Israel — according to the exposition of Rabbi Yishmael — how can one simultaneously learn from it,

that one may eat meat also outside the Land

(but only)

"out of an ample hand".

And if the verse refers to an ample hand,

then there is no difference whether the ample hand is in the desert,

in the Land of Israel,

or anywhere else — if only there is "an ample hand and wealth",

one should have been permitted to eat meat of desire,

not according to the opinion of Rabbi Yishmael that meat of desire was permitted only upon entry into the Land⁸.

From that which Rashi brings both interpretations together — it implies that in essence they are not contradictory,

or even more — that both interpretations are one matter.

And the opinion of Rabbi Yishmael that "from when they entered the Land, meat of desire was permitted to them",

and the opinion of Rabbi Akiva that "from when they entered the Land, meat of tearing was forbidden to them",

in both opinions the point of the rationale is the same⁹.

They differ only in the details of the rationale,

because of which it turns out,

that according to Rabbi Yishmael, the entering into the Land of Israel brought about a permission,

and according to the opinion of Rabbi Akiva — a prohibition,

yet nevertheless, both their rationales and halachot stem from the same point.

And although the halacha is like Rabbi Akiva,

Rashi brings here the opinion of Rabbi Yishmael,

because the teaching of the verse regarding our service now

(for which, indeed, the Rebbe, my father-in-law, publicized the old enactment to learn each day the weekly portion of Chumash with Rashi's commentary,

because each day one must "live",

to learn a directive in actual service from this very portion)

is according to the opinion of Rabbi Yishmael.

2.

It has already been discussed several times¹⁰

about the difference between the desert and the Land of Israel,

that in the desert the Jews were removed from worldly matters,

and coming into the Land of Israel began for them the service of making the world an "inhabited land".

And this difference expressed itself in all their needs of food,

clothing and shelter,

as is explained in several places.

Regarding our subject - eating meat: the food in the desert was manna,

bread from heaven,

a thing that is above the pleasures of this world.

Although in the manna one could taste all flavors,

it was nevertheless not in a material way,

because with the manna there was not the "seeing eye"¹¹,

which brings to "the heart covets"¹²

- one did not see the kinds of food whose flavors one tasted - so therefore the manna did not satisfy

(like bread from the land).

Being in the desert,

removed from the world,

meat of desire had no place there.

There, meat was relevant,

but only holy meat and not meat of desire.

Only upon entering the Land of Israel,

where there began an order of the work of clarification — and every clarifier must clothe himself in the garments of the thing he needs to clarify — there was also eating of meat of desire¹³,

because without this the clarification of that food cannot be,

and the work of clarification must be — to eat also that meat for the sake of heaven even in a manner of “in all your ways know Him”¹⁴.

And this is also what he says further in the continuation of the verses: “Only be strong not to eat the blood”

(Only strengthen yourself not to eat the blood)

— i.e.,

that is,

that although in the work of clarification there is eating of meat of desire,

at the time of eating there should be only that which is necessary according to nature,

but there should not be the passion

(blood)

in it¹⁵.

The passion of a Jew must be only in holiness,

which is the matter of the sprinkling of the blood upon the altar; but when the passion is not in holiness

(even if the passion is in permitted things,

and even when he uses the things for the sake of heaven up to — in all your ways know Him,

since however the passion is not in that “know Him” but in the permitted thing),

the Torah says about this blood: “upon the earth you shall pour it,”

a Jew should have no connection to it.

3.

According to the above it comes out,

that that which when entering into Eretz Yisrael they permitted to the Jews meat of desire,

was for them a descent; the truth is however,

that this also has an advantage,

because specifically through this can one come to a higher ascent.

As already discussed¹⁰,

that specifically through their entry into the land they were able to achieve the "Let us go up and ascend"; and furthermore: through that which they became elevated higher than they were in the desert,

from the aspect of the elevation they were able to lower themselves to do also the service of clarifications.

So it is also regarding eating meat of desire: being in the desert,

before the "Let us go up and ascend",

they did not have the power to lower themselves so low until meat of desire and to clarify it.

Therefore holds Rabbi Yishmael that in the desert "meat of desire was forbidden to them",

because they could not clarify it⁵

Only at their entry into the land,

"for the Lord your God will enlarge your border",

"broad hands and wealth",

at the time when the Jews received the expansion of spiritual powers - until that this expressed itself also in physicality,

in the expansion of the borders of Eretz Yisrael literally - then they received the power to clarify also meat of desire.

The explanation in this:

From the side of the expansion in the powers of the soul,

these powers were able to spread and descend down to the lowest level — the desire for eating meat — and also to connect this with the G‑dly soul.

h.

That that which the body craves meat,

comes to it,

in inwardness,

from the soul which craves to refine the G‑dly spark from the meat¹⁶

; and this connection of both together,

that the powers of the soul should engage in the desires of the body,

and through this elevate the desires of the body,

came about through their entry into the land through the expansion of the powers of the soul.

And this is what the verse says: "And you will say, 'I will eat meat, for your soul desires to eat meat'" — that which "you will say, 'I will eat meat',"

the eater

(the body)

says that he wants to eat meat,

it is because,

because,

"your soul desires",

because your soul

(the G‑dly one)

craves to eat and refine the meat.

d.

Although in the wilderness the Jews were sustained by the manna which had no waste,

yet the Gemara says¹⁷

on the verse¹⁸

"And a peg shall you have upon your ear",

that Jews would buy food from the merchants of the nations of the world.

And it is understood,

that relative to their level in the wilderness,

being abstracted from the world,

this was a very great descent for them.

Although it was not forbidden,

but a descent is certainly not in accordance with the proper order in general,

and especially as it should have been for the generation of the wilderness,

the generation of knowledge¹⁹.

Only from the aspect that free choice is not taken from Jews,

they had a choice to buy bread from the earth,

bread that has waste,

and sustain themselves from it.

Nevertheless,

since it is speaking about a generation of knowledge and Jews whose food, clothing, and home

(the clouds of glory)

were pure of waste,

so in all their actions,

even in matters of descent,

there was a certain refinement.

And therefore Rabbi Akiva says that also in the desert for the Jews was permitted meat of desire

(Although the proper order is to nourish themselves from the manna,

bread from heaven),

because Rabbi Akiva,

the one who merits Israel²⁰,

holds that the nobility of a Jew exists and expresses itself also then when he descends from his level and eats meat of desire.

Even in this state of descent he also effects a certain refinement

(For it became - permissibly - blood and flesh as his flesh of a person).

Only since eating of meat was not in the specific order of service of the Jews in the desert,

the fixed order according to Torah was then eating of manna,

-and only if someone chose to descend into eating meat of desire,

he effected a slight refinement also in that meat - therefore the meat did not need to have any slaughter.

The reason that one needs to have slaughter is because "the ways of the Torah are ways of pleasantness" - in order to avoid pain of the animals²¹.

But in the desert,

where there was not a way of the Torah to eat meat of desire,

for it was a deviation from the usual way,

they had not yet established the requirement of ways of pleasantness of slaughter - analogous to an uncommon matter for which they do not make fences and decrees²²,

and therefore "meat of tearing was permitted to them".

And specifically upon their entry into the land,

that because of the expansion of the powers of the soul,

then there became an order of the work of clarification,

until to clarify also meat of desire — was forbidden to them meat of tearing,

because then there must already be the work of slaughter,

and the order of the work is,

that every thing that a Jew does,

also eating meat of desire,

he should in it hear how it belongs to the sole authority of the world.

6.

As said earlier,

both opinions emerge,

the opinion of Rabbi Yishmael and the opinion of Rabbi Akiva,

from the same point.

Both hold that upon their entry into the land there was an expansion in spiritual matters,

that specifically because of the expansion can be the clarification of meat of desire.

Their dispute is only in this,

that Rabbi Yishmael holds that in the desert,

before the expansion,

there could not at all be any clarification in this,

and therefore he says,

that "meat of desire was forbidden to them,

from when they entered the land it was permitted to them like [that of] a wild animal".

Rabbi Akiva holds,

that also before the expansion one could effect a certain clarification,

but not comparable to the clarification that after the expansion.

Therefore Rabbi Akiva says,

that the difference between the desert and the Land of Israel consists in this,

that in the desert there did not need

(or was not per- mitted)

to be any slaughter,

and in the Land of Israel there had to be slaughter,

as above.

Through this it will be correct why Rashi brings both expositions,

because also according to the opinion of R. Yishmael,

that "for He will enlarge" refers to the enlargement of the borders of the Land of Israel,

the inner meaning of this is — "the Torah taught a way of the land",

that eating meat should be only "out of ample means and wealth",

only according to him it comes out in law regarding the entirety of Israel

(not only the ample means of an individual person),

that being in the desert — that the entirety of Israel came to the enlargement,

"meat of desire was forbidden to them".

7.

As said earlier,

this that Rashi explains according to the opinion of R. Yishmael that "in the desert meat of desire was forbidden to them",

although the law is not so,

it is,

because the order of the service now is in the manner as it comes out according to the opinion of R. Yishmael.

The two matters of desert and land of Israel are there in spirituality in the service of every Jew every day: at the beginning of the day he cannot yet have to do with worldly matters

(desert).

And only after the expansion that comes through the service of prayer and the study of Torah which after praying

(land of Israel),

then it is — "from the study hall to his needs",

he can make from worldly matters vessels for Godliness¹⁰.

"In the desert the meat of desire was forbidden to them."

In spiritual service it means,

that before praying one may not eat for hunger and thirst

(desire)²⁷,

no more than for the sake of healing and the like²⁸.

Specifically after prayer,

upon their entry into the land,

then the meat of desire is permitted,

because of the service of clarifications,

but on condition — "not to eat the blood".

That it should be without a cook pot.