(א) שֶׁמָּא יֹאמַר אָדָם הוֹאִיל וְהַקִּנְאָה וְהַתַּאֲוָה וְהַכָּבוֹד וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶם דֶּרֶךְ רָעָה הֵן וּמוֹצִיאִין אֶת הָאָדָם מִן הָעוֹלָם. אֶפְרשׁ מֵהֶן בְּיוֹתֵר וְאֶתְרַחֵק לַצַּד הָאַחֲרוֹן. עַד שֶׁלֹּא יֹאכַל בָּשָׂר וְלֹא יִשְׁתֶּה יַיִן וְלֹא יִשָּׂא אִשָּׁה וְלֹא יֵשֵׁב בְּדִירָה נָאָה וְלֹא יִלְבַּשׁ מַלְבּוּשׁ נָאֶה אֶלָּא הַשַּׂק וְהַצֶּמֶר הַקָּשֶׁה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן כְּגוֹן כֹּהֲנֵי הָעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים. גַּם זֶה דֶּרֶךְ רָעָה הִיא וְאָסוּר לֵילֵךְ בָּהּ. הַמְהַלֵּךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ זוֹ נִקְרָא חוֹטֵא. שֶׁהֲרֵי הוּא אוֹמֵר בְּנָזִיר (במדבר ו יא) "וְכִפֶּר עָלָיו מֵאֲשֶׁר חָטָא עַל הַנָּפֶשׁ". אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים וּמָה אִם נָזִיר שֶׁלֹּא פֵּרַשׁ אֶלָּא מִן הַיַּיִן צָרִיךְ כַּפָּרָה הַמּוֹנֵעַ עַצְמוֹ מִכָּל דָּבָר וְדָבָר עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. לְפִיכָךְ צִוּוּ חֲכָמִים שֶׁלֹּא יִמְנַע אָדָם עַצְמוֹ אֶלָּא מִדְּבָרִים שֶׁמְּנַעְתּוֹ הַתּוֹרָה בִּלְבַד. וְלֹא יְהֵא אוֹסֵר עַצְמוֹ בִּנְדָרִים וּבִשְׁבוּעוֹת עַל דְּבָרִים הַמֻּתָּרִים. כָּךְ אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים לֹא דַּיֶּךָ מַה שֶּׁאָסְרָה תּוֹרָה אֶלָּא שֶׁאַתָּה אוֹסֵר עָלֶיךָ דְּבָרִים אֲחֵרִים. וּבַכְּלָל הַזֶּה אֵלּוּ שֶׁמִּתְעַנִּין תָּמִיד אֵינָן בְּדֶרֶךְ טוֹבָה. וְאָסְרוּ חֲכָמִים שֶׁיְּהֵא אָדָם מְסַגֵּף עַצְמוֹ בְּתַעֲנִית. וְעַל כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלּוּ וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן צִוָּה שְׁלֹמֹה וְאָמַר (קהלת ז טז) "אַל תְּהִי צַדִּיק הַרְבֵּה וְאַל תִּתְחַכַּם יוֹתֵר לָמָּה תִּשּׁוֹמֵם":
Let a person not say: envy, lust, honour and similar things are evil ways and remove a person from the world (note-quote from Ethics of the Fathers), and that one should separate oneself from them and go to the opposite extreme, not to eat meat, drink wine, marry, live in a nice house or dress in fine clothes, but dress only in sackcloth and hard wool, etc., like the idolatrous priests do. This too is an evil way and one who follows it is a sinner, as it is written regarding a nazirite, "...and atone for him for that which he sinned by the dead, etc"; the Sages said that if a nazirite, who only abstained from wine requires atonement, then how much more so anyone who abstains from all things requires atonement. Therefore, the Sages commanded that one should not abstain from anything, except from things which the Torah has forbidden, and one should not vow to refrain from using permitted things. The Sages said, `Is it not what the Torah has forbidden enough that you have to forbid for yourself other things?!'. According to this, those who always restrict themselves are not on the path of good. About these and similar things Solomon said, "Don't be excessively righteous, nor make yourself overwise; lest you destroy yourself?".
Suggested Discussion Questions
1. What do you understand Rambam to be advocating?
2. Is summarizing this as "everything in moderation" too simple?
3. In what ways do you agree and disagree with Rambam?
Kedushat Levi on Parshat Noach
The verse which states "Take for yourself from all that is edible" is said in the language that implies one who feeds others. This is explained in the Midrash which states, "The woman that was given to me gave me (fruit) from the tree (and I eat)." The past tense, I ate, was not used in the verse. The Midrash teaches a general rule that through eating,a Jew eats in the manner of fixing the flaw of Adam HaRishon that was made through his eating. This fixing is done by way of the mitzvot that Jews do when eating, which are blessings said of one's food and other blessings said in regards to food before consumption. Therefore, the reason why the verse says "I eat" and not "I ate" implies that an element of Adam's original eating continues to this day. Thus through the consciousness of our eating, we can repair that which was flawed before.
1. How does this text impact your "eating consciousness?"
2. How might eating consciously connect us to Adam HaRishon?
3. Does this make sense to you?
The Eternal One placed the human being in the Garden of Eden, to till it and to tend it
Suggested Discussion Questions
What does this text suggest about our relationship to the land? To its ability to provide food?
טוֹב מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ גִּנָּה וּמְזַבְּלָהּ וּמְעַדְרָהּ וּמִתְפַּרְנֵס מִמֶּנָּהּ מִמִּי שֶׁהוּא נוֹטֵל גִּנּוֹת שֶׁל אֲחֵרִים בְּמֶחֱצָה, בְּמַתְלָא אָמְרִין דַּאֲגַר גִּנָּה אָכֵל צִפֳּרִין, דַּאֲגַר גִּנִּין צִפֳּרִין אָכְלִין לֵיהּ
A person who has a vegetable garden; who fertilizes it, tills it, and sustains themselves from it, is better off than a person who rents as a sharecropper. As the proverb says, “One who rents one patch eats birds, one who rents many patches – birds eat him.” [Translation by AJWS]
Suggested Discussion Questions
1. Why is it better to grow your own food on your own land rather than rent land from another person?
2. Is it fair to apply this text to people today? Why or why not?
Jerusalem Post Interview with R. Haskel Lookstein and R. Yitz Greenberg, May 3, 2008
Original Q: In 1971, you were the only Orthodox rabbis to declare that non-union lettuce and grapes should be regarded as non-kosher and you urged Jews to boycott them. What is the basis in Judaism for that position? R. Greenberg: We were both students of the Rav, Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik. From him we learned the idea that Halacha is not just a list of ritual dos and don'ts, but a comprehensive worldview that applies to everything that happens around us. The Torah prohibits the exploitation of workers- so why shouldn't that apply to migrant farm workers picking lettuce or grapes? They were being mistreated, so it was natural for us to apply the principle of non-exploitation to their situation, too. It seemed obvious.
Suggested Discussion Questions
How does this text interact with Reb Zalman's definition of kashrut?