Spiritual Kashering
Matos
Towards the beginning of the Parsha we read about the war against Midian. 12,000 soldiers, 1,000 from each tribe, were sent to exact vengeance from the Midianites for causing Bnei Yisroel to go astray. The soldiers returned to the camp with all of the spoils from their victory, including food vessels.
Upon their return, Elazar instructed them that all metal vessels captured would require Kashering, to purge them from any non-Kosher taste that they had absorbed when used by their former owners.
From this episode the Gemara derives many of the important principles governing the laws of Kashrus.
Aside from the actual Kashering procedures, we learn the concept of Taam K’Ikar. This means that not only the actual substance of non-Kosher food is Biblically forbidden, but also the taste that is imparted by forbidden foods. This applies even to the “taste” that has been absorbed into the walls of a pot in which non-Kosher food was cooked. This ‘taste’ must be extracted or removed through the various methods of Kashering.
The Talmud (Shabbos 64b) relates how Moshe became angry at the soldiers. Since they had not killed the Midianite women (who were the ones responsible for causing Bnei Yisroel to sin), Moshe suspected that the soldiers continued to act immorally with them.
The soldiers protested that they were all righteous and free of wrongdoing. But Moshe was unconvinced. The returning soldiers had expressed their wish to offer some of the 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 sinful thoughts.
The Kotzker Rebbe asks how the soldiers derived that one must atone for thoughts of sin, when the Torah doesn’t require a Korban for sinful thoughts.
He answers that on hearing the laws of Kashering, they drew a practical inference for themselves; If even a weak taste of Treif that is absorbed in non-kosher vessels requires Kashering, then surely their thoughts of sin need cleansing too.
Our bodies are a like a vessel. They may be used for “Kosher” - to carry out the desires of our G-dly soul in service of Hashem. But we may also use our bodies for “Treif”; to follow the desires and whims of our evil inclination and animalistic desires.
When a person sins, even if only in speech or thought, the effects of negativity permeate their being. To restore our purity, we need to undergo a spiritual Kashering. This cannot be done in a superficial manner. Rather, like the Kashering of vessels one must reach into the depths to extricate all traces of the Issur.
The basic principle in Kashering is referred to as K’Bolo Kach Polto - the way in which the Issur was absorbed is the same way that it must be extracted. The Torah teaches this with the words ‘whatever is used in fire you shall pass through fire and then it will be clean’. This gives rise to the various Kashering methods that range from exposure to fire until the vessel glows red hot, to merely washing the vessel if it was only used for cold foods.
In addition to Kashering the vessel must be immersed in a Mikva to give it the Kedusha (holiness) befitting a Jewish utensil.
Spiritual Kashering follows the same principles. We must drive out our negativity with the same intensity with which we sinned. We do this by infusing our souls with the flames of love for Hashem and passion in our observance of Torah and Mitzvos.
After “Kashering”, we must then immerse ourselves in the purifying waters of the study of Torah, to imbue our lives with the holiness and purity, so that we can be Kosher receptacles to receive the revelation of the Divine presence that rests within our souls.
Upon their return, Elazar instructed them that all metal vessels captured would require Kashering, to purge them from any non-Kosher taste that they had absorbed when used by their former owners.
From this episode the Gemara derives many of the important principles governing the laws of Kashrus.
Aside from the actual Kashering procedures, we learn the concept of Taam K’Ikar. This means that not only the actual substance of non-Kosher food is Biblically forbidden, but also the taste that is imparted by forbidden foods. This applies even to the “taste” that has been absorbed into the walls of a pot in which non-Kosher food was cooked. This ‘taste’ must be extracted or removed through the various methods of Kashering.
The Talmud (Shabbos 64b) relates how Moshe became angry at the soldiers. Since they had not killed the Midianite women (who were the ones responsible for causing Bnei Yisroel to sin), Moshe suspected that the soldiers continued to act immorally with them.
The soldiers protested that they were all righteous and free of wrongdoing. But Moshe was unconvinced. The returning soldiers had expressed their wish to offer some of the 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 sinful thoughts.
The Kotzker Rebbe asks how the soldiers derived that one must atone for thoughts of sin, when the Torah doesn’t require a Korban for sinful thoughts.
He answers that on hearing the laws of Kashering, they drew a practical inference for themselves; If even a weak taste of Treif that is absorbed in non-kosher vessels requires Kashering, then surely their thoughts of sin need cleansing too.
Our bodies are a like a vessel. They may be used for “Kosher” - to carry out the desires of our G-dly soul in service of Hashem. But we may also use our bodies for “Treif”; to follow the desires and whims of our evil inclination and animalistic desires.
When a person sins, even if only in speech or thought, the effects of negativity permeate their being. To restore our purity, we need to undergo a spiritual Kashering. This cannot be done in a superficial manner. Rather, like the Kashering of vessels one must reach into the depths to extricate all traces of the Issur.
The basic principle in Kashering is referred to as K’Bolo Kach Polto - the way in which the Issur was absorbed is the same way that it must be extracted. The Torah teaches this with the words ‘whatever is used in fire you shall pass through fire and then it will be clean’. This gives rise to the various Kashering methods that range from exposure to fire until the vessel glows red hot, to merely washing the vessel if it was only used for cold foods.
In addition to Kashering the vessel must be immersed in a Mikva to give it the Kedusha (holiness) befitting a Jewish utensil.
Spiritual Kashering follows the same principles. We must drive out our negativity with the same intensity with which we sinned. We do this by infusing our souls with the flames of love for Hashem and passion in our observance of Torah and Mitzvos.
After “Kashering”, we must then immerse ourselves in the purifying waters of the study of Torah, to imbue our lives with the holiness and purity, so that we can be Kosher receptacles to receive the revelation of the Divine presence that rests within our souls.