The Big Fish
We were created as land creatures, but our goal is to be submerged in the refreshing waters of Divine knowledge.
The Discrepancy
The Jewish dietary laws are discussed extensively in this week’s parsha, where the Torah elaborates on the characteristics that determine which animals, fowl and fish are kosher and which are not When one surveys these dietary laws one can detect a distinction between the way the Torah treats animals, fowl and fish. With regard to animals, the Torah lists those animals that are kosher because they chew their cud and have split hooves. All the others—the overwhelming majority of animals, even the ones that have one of the two signs—are not kosher.
Concerning fowl, by comparison, the Torah lists only the non-kosher species. All those that are not mentioned are, by definition, kosher. Jewish law, however, does not permit us to eat any bird unless there is a clear tradition as to its permissibility because we are not certain about the identity of the nonkosher birds recorded in the Torah. So while theoretically most birds are kosher, we are precluded from eating most of them.
With respect to fish, the Torah gives two characteristics that determine which fish are kosher: they must have fins and scales. Since the overwhelming majority of fish do possess these “signs,” most fish are therefore deemed kosher.
Why, one might ask, are most animals not kosher, most fowl theoretically kosher but for all practical purposes unfit for our consumption, while the majority of species of fish are identifiably kosher and fit to eat?
To be sure, the primary reason for our observance of these dietary laws is to follow G-d’s will, which transcends our finite mind’s capacity to find reasons for everything. We therefore should not be troubled by our inability to know the reason for all of the commandments.
What’s the Lesson?
So to rephrase our question: What lesson can we learn from the discrepancies that exist between, animals, fowl and fish? The word Torah is instruction. Thus every detail of Torah can provide us with lessons that are relevant to us in our own day and age.
The following is an explanation based on Chabad Chassidic teachings, particularly the writings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
The Human Animal
Animals are land creatures. This symbolizes the aspect of our personality that is connected to the earthy and materialistic pursuits in life. Unfortunately, most materialistic and animalistic drives can be detrimental to our spiritual well-being. One must be extremely careful to guard one’s interaction with the corporeal and earthy influences. And when one does so they can harness that animal nature to the pursuit of noble goals. Left unchecked, the animal in us can be destructive.
Cry Fowl
Fowl symbolize the person’s spiritual drive represented by the quest for more knowledge. It manifests itself in philosophical and scientific inquiry, driven by humanity’s desire to go higher and higher in our understanding of the cosmos. Intellectual pursuits are not as inherently risky as the animalistic ones, thus most fowl are in theory kosher, nevertheless, for all practical purposes, many of us are not aware of the pitfalls in some of the isms and philosophies that appeal to our spirit of inquiry and discovery. Frequently, one’s intellectual pursuits can steer a person off the path that G-d had chosen for us.
To avoid these pitfalls, we must therefore follow tradition, in terms of knowing what direction we should follow in our quest for greater knowledge.
Submerged in G-dly Waters
Fish symbolize the individual whose egos have been submerged in the G-dly waters of knowledge. Indeed, the description of the ultimate Messianic Era of divine enlightenment by the prophet Isaiah is: “the entire world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as the sea is covered with water.”
In this G-d saturated environment one can partake of virtually all that is offered provided that one has fins and scales.
This means that the license for the consumption of this G-dly knowledge hinges on it having the capacity to propel one to a higher place. G-dly knowledge must lead to continuous growth (“fins”).
But even G-dly knowledge can be dangerous if it goes beyond one’s capacity. A powerful surge of spiritual energy can overwhelm one and cause spiritual injury. One could easily misinterpret or misconstrue these lofty ideas. There is therefore a need for a protective force that prevents us from being harmed in one’s spiritual journey in life (“scales”).
Based on this analysis of fish as symbols of spiritual saturation, we can appreciate why, for example, a traditional Shabbos meal consists of fish. Fish symbolize the most pure and secure form of spiritual growth.
“Big Fish Swallowing the Little Fish”
One could raise the following question. One of the common denominators in kosher animals and fowl is that they are not carnivorous. Fish, kosher or non-kosher, on the other hand, are always swallowing up other fish, yet they are still kosher. Why this difference?
Perhaps one can view the idea of the big fish swallowing the little fish in a positive vein. As was discussed in other essays, there are two general levels in Judaism: that of a katan, minor and that of a gadol, mature adult. And while the Torah respects the katan and caters to his or her needs, the Torah wants us to mature to the level of a gadol.
Moreover, the Torah wants the higher and more mature approach to Judaism to “swallow” up the childish and immature level, to the point where it no longer becomes necessary to address the immature part of our souls. We are not talking about the purity and innocence of the child—that we should always retain. We are discussing the need to ultimately abandon our childish perceptions of G-d and the Torah and our approach to life in general.
This “big fish swallowing up the small fish” phenomenon is what will characterize the Messianic Age, which can be called the “Age of Maturity.” In that time, we will all graduate from the immature state we are in now that we are in galut/exile into a sophisticated state of knowledge.
This is alluded to in the very word for Redemption which is Geulah. The Rebbe cited frequently the teaching of R. Schneur Zalman of Liadi (the author of the Tanya and the founder of the Chabad movement) that the word Geulah shares the same letters as the world for exile—Golah. The difference between these two words is the insertion of the letter aleph into the word Golah. In other words, what makes the difference between exile and Redemption is the concept represented by the letter and symbol of the aleph.
The Rebbe explained that the letter aleph has three levels of meaning. The first is Master. When we introduce the awareness of the Master of the world into exile it becomes Geulah. After we reach that level where we “swallow” the aleph of G-dly awareness we move on to the next level of aleph, which stands for knowledge. From awareness we graduate into a more sophisticated knowledge of G-d, which is then followed by the concept of peleh, wondrous and elusiveness (the letters of the word aleph in reverse).
If we have to translate all of the above into “fish jargon” it means that in the Messianic Age the big fish of appreciating the wondrous aspects of the Divine will swallow up the advanced levels of knowledge, which, in turn, will swallow up the junior level of awareness, which, in turn, will swallow up our infantile perceptions of G-d and reality.
And this is also why one of the symbols of that age is the “serving” by G-d of the Leviathan, the huge fish that symbolizes the pursuit and discovery of the deepest secrets of Judaism that will swallow up all of the lower levels of knowledge.
From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Shemini by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
