Spiritual Kashering for the Soul
Matos
When the soldiers of Bnei Yisrael returned from their war to exact vengeance from the Midianites, they brought back the spoils from their victory. Included in the spoils were kitchen utensils and cooking vessels that had belonged to the Midianites.
Upon their return, Elazar instructed that all of the metal vessels that had been captured, would need to be Kashered, to purge them from any non-Kosher taste which was absorbed within them. “All (vessels) which are used in fire, you shall pass through fire and they shall be pure…. And all (vessels) that are not used in fire, you shall pass them through water.”
The vessels which are used in fire include items such as spits and grills that are used for roasting. These must be Kashered through Libbun Gamur - being placed in fire until they become white hot. It also includes vessels that were used for cooking with hot liquid. These must be Kashered with Hagalah, by being placed in boiling water.
The basic Kashering principle is referred to as כבולעו כך פלטו. Literally this means that the way it is absorbed, so it is expelled, meaning that the Kashering method to purge the Treif taste must be of the same intensity as which it was absorbed.
The vessels which are not used in fire refers to vessels which were used for cold non-Kosher foods, which do not cause any absorption. According to the Ramban, the Torah teaches that their Kashering method is specified in the words “you shall pass them through water”, meaning that one must thoroughly wash them.
Rashi understands that this does not refer to Kashering, but rather the requirement to immerse the vessels in a Mikvah—Tevilas Keilim. The Gemara derives the requirement of Tevilas Keilim from the earlier part of the verse “they shall be purified with Mei Niddah”, referring to a Mikvah that would be Kosher for a woman who is Niddah to immerse in.
Most authorities understand that the obligation of Tevilas Keilim is Biblical. Others, including the Ramban in this Parsha, understand that Tevilas Keilim is only a Rabbinic obligation. Like the immersion of a Ger, the immersion of vessels that were owned by a non-Jew, elevate them to be fitting for the Kedusha of the new Jewish owner.
Even the Halachic aspects and details of the Mitzvos of the Torah contain within them deeper messages and lessons for us in our service of Hashem. The mystics teach that the Parsha of Kashering and purification of vessels contains within it lessons in Teshuvah, and how we reinstate our Kashrus after we ave sinned.
The Talmud relates that Moshe became angry at the soldiers who had returned from battle. Parenthetically, Moshe’s anger caused him to forget the Halachos of Kashering, and this is why Elazar was the one to teach these Halachos. Against their explicit instructions, the soldiers did not killed the Midianite women. Moshe suspected that this was because they continued to act immorally with them.
The soldiers protested that they were all righteous and free of any wrongdoing. Moshe was unconvinced. The returning soldiers had expressed their desire to offer some of their spoils to seek atonement. Moshe argued that if they were indeed guiltless, why was atonement necessary? The soldiers replied that whilst they did not act improperly, they had nonetheless had thoughts of sin which required atonement.
How did the soldiers know that one must atone for thoughts of sin? The Kotzker Rebbe explains that on hearing the laws of Kashering, they drew a practical inference for themselves; If even a weak taste of Treif in non-kosher vessels requires Kashering, then surely their thoughts of sin need cleansing too.
The Ben Ish Chai explains that “all that are used in fire” refers to those sins which require atonement through bringing a sacrifice in the fires of the alter. The Torah teaches that even in the absence of the Korbanos, “you shall pass them through fire”. This refers to learning about the Korban in the words of Torah, which are likened to fire. For those sins which are “not passed through fire” i.e. do not require a Korban, one should “pass them through water”, a reference to the tears of remorse.
The Shach on the Torah explains that sins committed through the fiery passions of the Yetzer Hara, require “Kashering” in the fires of Gehenom. If one wants to protect themselves from the “fires” of the Yeter Hara, they should “pass themselves through” water, a reference to immersing oneself in Torah, which is likened to water. The fires can also represent the flames of the passionate love that the Neshama has for Hashem
When a person sins, even if only in speech or thought, the effects of negativity become absorbed within them. Removing this embedded negativity cannot be done in a superficial manner. Rather, like Kashering, one must reach into the depths of our being to extricate all traces of the Issur. Only then is our purity and ‘Kashrus’ restored. The intensity of Teshuvah must be commensurate to the nature and intensity of the passion with which we sinned.
Like vessels, Kashering is only the first step. We must then immerse ourselves in the purifying waters of the study of Torah, to imbue our lives with the holiness and sanctity that befits our status as receptacles for the Divine presence.
Upon their return, Elazar instructed that all of the metal vessels that had been captured, would need to be Kashered, to purge them from any non-Kosher taste which was absorbed within them. “All (vessels) which are used in fire, you shall pass through fire and they shall be pure…. And all (vessels) that are not used in fire, you shall pass them through water.”
The vessels which are used in fire include items such as spits and grills that are used for roasting. These must be Kashered through Libbun Gamur - being placed in fire until they become white hot. It also includes vessels that were used for cooking with hot liquid. These must be Kashered with Hagalah, by being placed in boiling water.
The basic Kashering principle is referred to as כבולעו כך פלטו. Literally this means that the way it is absorbed, so it is expelled, meaning that the Kashering method to purge the Treif taste must be of the same intensity as which it was absorbed.
The vessels which are not used in fire refers to vessels which were used for cold non-Kosher foods, which do not cause any absorption. According to the Ramban, the Torah teaches that their Kashering method is specified in the words “you shall pass them through water”, meaning that one must thoroughly wash them.
Rashi understands that this does not refer to Kashering, but rather the requirement to immerse the vessels in a Mikvah—Tevilas Keilim. The Gemara derives the requirement of Tevilas Keilim from the earlier part of the verse “they shall be purified with Mei Niddah”, referring to a Mikvah that would be Kosher for a woman who is Niddah to immerse in.
Most authorities understand that the obligation of Tevilas Keilim is Biblical. Others, including the Ramban in this Parsha, understand that Tevilas Keilim is only a Rabbinic obligation. Like the immersion of a Ger, the immersion of vessels that were owned by a non-Jew, elevate them to be fitting for the Kedusha of the new Jewish owner.
Even the Halachic aspects and details of the Mitzvos of the Torah contain within them deeper messages and lessons for us in our service of Hashem. The mystics teach that the Parsha of Kashering and purification of vessels contains within it lessons in Teshuvah, and how we reinstate our Kashrus after we ave sinned.
The Talmud relates that Moshe became angry at the soldiers who had returned from battle. Parenthetically, Moshe’s anger caused him to forget the Halachos of Kashering, and this is why Elazar was the one to teach these Halachos. Against their explicit instructions, the soldiers did not killed the Midianite women. Moshe suspected that this was because they continued to act immorally with them.
The soldiers protested that they were all righteous and free of any wrongdoing. Moshe was unconvinced. The returning soldiers had expressed their desire to offer some of their spoils to seek atonement. Moshe argued that if they were indeed guiltless, why was atonement necessary? The soldiers replied that whilst they did not act improperly, they had nonetheless had thoughts of sin which required atonement.
How did the soldiers know that one must atone for thoughts of sin? The Kotzker Rebbe explains that on hearing the laws of Kashering, they drew a practical inference for themselves; If even a weak taste of Treif in non-kosher vessels requires Kashering, then surely their thoughts of sin need cleansing too.
The Ben Ish Chai explains that “all that are used in fire” refers to those sins which require atonement through bringing a sacrifice in the fires of the alter. The Torah teaches that even in the absence of the Korbanos, “you shall pass them through fire”. This refers to learning about the Korban in the words of Torah, which are likened to fire. For those sins which are “not passed through fire” i.e. do not require a Korban, one should “pass them through water”, a reference to the tears of remorse.
The Shach on the Torah explains that sins committed through the fiery passions of the Yetzer Hara, require “Kashering” in the fires of Gehenom. If one wants to protect themselves from the “fires” of the Yeter Hara, they should “pass themselves through” water, a reference to immersing oneself in Torah, which is likened to water. The fires can also represent the flames of the passionate love that the Neshama has for Hashem
When a person sins, even if only in speech or thought, the effects of negativity become absorbed within them. Removing this embedded negativity cannot be done in a superficial manner. Rather, like Kashering, one must reach into the depths of our being to extricate all traces of the Issur. Only then is our purity and ‘Kashrus’ restored. The intensity of Teshuvah must be commensurate to the nature and intensity of the passion with which we sinned.
Like vessels, Kashering is only the first step. We must then immerse ourselves in the purifying waters of the study of Torah, to imbue our lives with the holiness and sanctity that befits our status as receptacles for the Divine presence.