The verse in Leviticus delineates clearly which animals the children of Israel are allowed to eat: “All that have a cloven hoof, and they (the hooves) are (completely) split, and that chews its cud among the animals, that you may eat.” (11:3). Why are these physical traits established as the indicators of a kosher animal?
The simplest answer and perhaps the least satisfying, is that this commandment is a chok – one of the class of statues whose reason is not stated and whose rationale eludes us. We are challenged to keep these statues despite the fact that they make no sense to us, because true faith is not predicated on our ability to understand and/or agree with all of God’s commands.
Another answer is offered by Rabbi Pinchas Peli, in his book Torah Today: A Renewed Encounter with Scripture. He cites the Greek Jewish writer Philo (40 BCE – 20 CE), who suggested that the cloven hooves symbolically point to the capacity of a person to carefully make divisions between different aspects of the world and choose what is good. And an animal’s chewing its cud directs us to consider the value of ruminating over the lessons we have learned, so we can keep the insights we gained fresh in mind. The kosher animal, then, subtly reminds us of the traits we should embrace, so as to live a more thoughtful life.
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