Re'eh
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha (Chapter 12, Pasuk 20), Ki Yarchiv Hashem Elokecha es Gevulcha Ka’asher Diber Lach, V’Amartah Ochlah Basar Ki Te’aveh Nafshachah Le’echol Basar, B’chol Avas Nafshachah Tocahl Basar. The Torah states that when Hashem expands your borders and you have a desire to eat meat, you shall eat meat with all your desire. The simple meaning is that when your borders are expanded and you are no longer right near the Mishkan, you can still eat meat, even though it is not in the context of bringing a Karban. When they were in the desert, they could not eat “Basar Chulin”. If they wanted to eat meat, they had to bring a Karban.
Rashi, however, explains that the Torah is teaching us a lesson. Shelo Yis’aveh Adam Le’echol Basr elah Mitoch Rachavas Yadayim V’Osher. A person should not have a desire to eat meat unless he has the wealth and the means for it. One’s appetite and desire needs to be commensurate with his financial ability to satisfy those wishes.
Rav Tzadok explains the pasuk in a different manner. He points out that the “Ta’avah”, or desire, mentioned in the pasuk is brought together with the word Nefesh, the soul. We are not dealing with a gross, physical appetite, but rather with a desire of the soul. The physical activity of eating meat is necessary in order to learn and understand Torah better. In the Gemarah in Baba Kama 72A Rav Nachman tells Rabbah he couldn’t answer his question the previous evening because he hadn’t eaten meat. And Rashi explains that as a result, he wasn’t able to truly understand the reasoning behind the matter. And the same Rav Nachman teaches us in Eiruvin 64A that his head isn’t clear unless he drinks a Revi’is of wine.
According to Rav Tzadok, the Torah is teaching us that one’s eating should be on a more spiritual plane. The desire should be of the Nefesh; its purpose should be to accommodate one’s service to Hashem.
And this is why there had to be a heter, a special allowance, for “Basar Ta’avah”. Previously, all eating of meat was automatically in a context of serving Gd by bringing a Karban. Now when they are further away they may still eat meat, but it needs to be for a more spiritual purpose in order to offset the loss of the Kadshim aspect of the meat.
The very next pasuk teaches a similar idea but uses the term Ki Yirchak Mimcha Hamakom, if you will be far away. Rav Tzadok learns that the first pasuk, Ki Yarchiv Hashem Elokecha es Gevulcha, is referring to Eretz Yisrael. When your borders are expanded, but you are still in Eretz Yisrael, then you may eat meat and it will be with holiness and the desire will be for a noble purpose. This is because the holiness of Eretz Yisrael will affect your desire. However, when you are further away in Chutz L’Aretz, there is no guarantee that your desire will be in holiness. Therefore, V’Zevachtah M’Bekarcha, you shall shecht from your cattle, and the Sifree adds, but not all your cattle. Make sure you don’t overdue your consumption of meat. And the pasuk continues, Asher Nasan Hashem Lecha, make sure you remain aware that it was given to you by Hashem. When you keep this in mind, then even in Chutz L’Aretz, your physical consumption will be on a higher plane. Then, concludes the pasuk, V’Achaltah B’Shearecha B’chol Avas Nafshacah, when you follow these guidelines, your eating in Chutz L’Aretz will also be of the soul.
Now we can reconcile Rav Tzadok’s p’shat with that of Rashi. The Gemarah in Temurah 16A uses the terms “Ashir V’Rash”, a wealthy man and a poor one, to suggest a learned one and an ignorant man. When Rashi says one’s desires should be commensurate with his wealth, it could also mean his level of learning. In order to ensure that one’s eating is of a spiritual nature, one should only desire and eat meat as a means of being in a proper state of mind to learn Torah and serve Hashem better.
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