The Torah does not explain the reason for shatnez, and it is categorized as a chok -- a law whose logic is not evident. The Torah has many such laws; we do not know why pork is forbidden, for example. And the prohibition of shatnez is equally strong.
A law whose logic is not evident. A chok (the plural form being chukkim) is something that "transcends rational reason," something that is not within our grasp. Many have taken chukkim to be an essential part of serving HaShem, including Rashi. Some things are to be "taken on faith," rather than knowing an explicit reason. I find the entire notion of chukkim to be intellectually dissatisfying. If HaShem created the Torah as a blueprint for life, surely there has to be some purpose to it. Does the Midrash (Genesis Rabbah 44:1) not say that the purpose of the mitzvot is to refine humanity? Fortunately, I am not the only Jew struggling with the notion of chukkim. As a matter of fact, Rambam confronts it in the Guide for the Perplexed (III, xxvi):
As theologians are divided on the question whether the actions of HaShem are the result of His wisdom, or only of His will without being intended for any purpose whatosever, so they are also divided as regards [to] the object of the commandments which HaShem gave us. Some of them hold that the commandments have no object at all; and are only dictated by HaShem's will...All of us, the common people as well as the scholars, believe that there is a reason for every precept, althouth there are reasons of which they ways of His wisdom are incomprehensible...but our Sages generally do not think that such precepts [chukkim] have no cause whatever, and serve no purpose; for this would lead us to assume that His actions are purposless. On the contrary, they hold that even these ordinances have a cause, and are certainly intended for some use, although it is not known to us, owing either to the deficiency of our knowledge or the weakness of our own intellect.
Rambam states something important here: the notion of a chok is nonsensical. "Because HaShem said so" is not Jewish thinking, according to Rambam. If HaShem is considered benevolent by giving us these mitzvot, you can't say "it's good for you because it's good for you." That tautology doesn't work for the all-knowing, most highly perceptive Ribbono Shel Olam, Master of the Universe. The people of Aish, of course, try to retort the concept with another reason for chukkim:
The power of a chock is as follows: If the reasons for all the mitzvot were as obvious as "don't murder" or "don't steal," then a person could go through life without developing a relationship with God. How so? Just as there are many fine, upstanding people who don't murder -- not because they believe in God, but simply because they understand that it's wrong -- we might likewise observe mitzvot simply because they "make sense."
Rather than trying to cultivate a sense of obeisance towards HaShem, now we have another reason for chukkim presented: if there were a reason for every law, there would be no point to connect with HaShem. Again, we are dealing with nonsensical notions because those who think this way forget that loving HaShem is also a mitzvah (Deut. 6:5). If we go with Maimonidean rationalism, there must be a reason for this mitzvah, too. Therefore, I have adequately proven that Jewish thinking shows that we need to use our minds to ascertain the answers to these questions.
I did so a couple weeks ago with the supposed chok of kashrut. I was able to use my intellect to find reasons in the spiritual, medical, nationalistic, moralistic, and ethical realms. If I were able to find answers with something as allegedly mysterious as kashrut, let's see if it can be done with shatnez.
1) Maimonides believed that Jews don't mix these two fabrics is because it would be an imitation of Canaanite customs (Lev. 20:23). This reasoning falls short because, as we'll explore shortly, this was the very mixture worn by Kohanim during Temple services.
2) The Midrash (Genesis Rabbah) goes back to the Cain and Abel story. Abel brought wool as an offering, where as Cain brought flax. This mixture caused a dispute between the two brothers, and caused Abel to lose his life, which is why we should not bring such evil upon us.
3) Modern apologists opine that "the law was based on scientific reasoning, as while wool absorbs water and shrinks, linen is water resistant, which they argue would cause mixtures to present a problem in relation to perspiration, and hence hygiene; material scientists do not consider this a problem - including a proportion of linen would help woolen garments retain their shape while wet, and the proportion could be kept low enough to not cause water absorption issues."
4) Another interesting insight is that linen was a product produced in the Nile Valley, whereas the Israelites were infamous for sheepherding, which meant flax. A mixture of the two, Egyptian and Jewish respectively, is a lesson for us to maintain our Jewish distinctiveness and identity, rather than consort [i.e., intertwine] with blatantly non-Jewish sources.
5) The Sefer Ha-Chiniuch states that "it is forbidden to mix wool and linen together is because it destroys the spiritual fabric of the universe. This can be explained as follows: Each and every thing on earth, except for man, has its own spiritual force that influences it. When some of these earthly items are mixed together, they cause their spiritual counterparts to become entangled. Once entangled, they cannot perform their tasks as originally designed, thusly destroying the spiritual fabric of the universe."
6) There is one important fact that we have to consider: the כהן גדול (High Priest) wore a mixture of wool and linen (Exodus 39:29). If the High Priest wore such a mixture, maybe its prohibition is not because it's terrible. Quite the contrary! It could very well be that because some mixtures, such as shatnez, are too wonderful for us to handle, which is why only someone such as reputable as the High Priest could handle it.
7) Another theory is that we are not to "tinker with nature." Some things in nature have their distinct roles, much like Sefer HaChaniuch opined. Interbreeding animals is forbidden (Lev. 19:19), as planting fields with mixed seeds (ibid). G-d created everything, and, when G-d was finished, everything was complete, finished, perfect. It is supposedly a metaphorical slap in the face to HaShem to tinker with natural materials.
8) The Zohar states that shatnez is really an acronym for שטן עז, which means "Satan is strong," which means that an evil spirit is lurking when you combine these two fabrics. (See Reason #2)
Some reasons are not as strong as others. Some topics, such as this one, have not been thoroughly as contemplated as kashrut. Whether the reasons provided are sufficient are up to you. It is very well possible that the reason could be staring us in front of the face and we don't see it. It could very well be that some rabbi in the not-too-distant future might find the underlying reason. Even if we don't find the reason, it neither negates that a reason for this prohibition exists nor that there is divinity to the decree. We should continue to use the divine intellect that HaShem gave us to find out how this prohibited mixture benefits us.
Interesting post and helpful post. Thank you.
ReplyDelete