Musar su Esodo 24:11

הלעיטני נא מן האדום. There is a great moral lesson here. It teaches that man's food intake should be based on considerations of sanctity and modesty. When he eats, he should behave as if in the presence of his king. This is best illustrated in Exodus 23,11 where the אצילי בני ישראל, the elite of the Children of Israel, are portrayed as ויחזו את האלוקים, ויאכלו וישתו, "They had a vision of G–d and they ate and drank." Surely this means that they consecrated their eating and drinking to be such a sacred activity that they were fit to have visions of the Divine even then.

Although our sages say in Chulin 115 that the repetition of this prohibition in the Torah on three separate occasions teaches that the mixture is forbidden to be eaten, to be boiled, and to be otherwise enjoyed, we count this prohibition in the list of prohibitions only as two (not three). The reason for this is that the prohibition to eat the mixture includes the prohibition to enjoy it in some other way. Our sages have stated in Pesachim 21 that wherever we find the wording לא תאכל, do not eat, this includes the prohibition of eating and enjoying it in another way. This is why the prohibition to benefit from something forbidden in any form is always couched in the expression "do not eat!" Eating is the most common form of enjoying or benefiting from forbidden food. It is also a necessary form of enjoying something. When the Torah speaks of the nobles of the Children of Israel "seeing a vision of G–d, and eating and drinking" (Exodus 24,11), the Torah compares their pleasurable experience of having such a vision to eating and drinking.

This is alluded to in 11,2: זאת החיה אשר תאכלו … אך זה לא תאכלו. Our sages say that Moses had difficulty understanding this paragraph and that G–d showed him what the various categories of animals looked like (Chulin 42). In Vayikra Rabbah 13,4 we are told that G–d showed Moses a head of fire, explaining that if the protective skin around the brain was pierced such an animal was unfit to eat regardless of the size of the hole. It is difficult to understand what Moses' problem was. We could have understood his problem if the chapter would have listed free-roaming animals which Moses had never seen. After all, Moses was not a hunter. However, the Talmud meant that Moses had difficulty understanding the reason for this legislation. He wanted to know why certain categories of animals were permitted, whereas others were prohibited. G–d showed Moses the positive spiritual impact which consuming certain animals would have on the people eating them, and the negative spiritual impact of certain other animals. He showed Moses the respective influence of those animals in the higher regions. Thereupon Moses understood why some categories of animals are termed "pure," whereas others are termed "impure." This is the mystical dimension of Deut. 14,23: ואכלת לפני ה' אלוקיך, "You shall eat in front of the Lord your G–d;" this is a reference to the "Table", i.e. a reference to the sacred element of the act of eating. Psalms 104,1: "Bless the Lord, O my soul," as well as Exodus 24,11: "They ate and drank and had a vision of G–d," are reminders of the impact consumption of food has on our spiritual faculties. This means that even when the Israelites consume food which has not first been specifically sanctified as a sacrifice, such meals are considered as if an act of spiritual significance had been performed. When Gentiles eat, on the other hand, this is a totally profane activity.

The verse continues saying that "Abraham stood over them under the tree while they ate." We must understand this as being similar to Exodus 24,11: ויחזו את האלוקים ויאכלו וישתו, "They had a vision of G–d and ate and drank." Abraham stood by them in order to introduce them to monotheism and an appreciation of the kindness and love of G–d for His creatures. While all this transpired, Abraham still had not resolved his doubts as to the true identity of his guests.

G–d has granted me an insight enabling me to find that the word עלול is an acronym for עיניו למטה ולבו למעלה. We find a difference of opinion among the sages about the sin committed by Nadav and Avihu. One sage claims that they entered the Sanctuary while intoxicated with wine, whereas another claims that they taught a הלכה which it was not their place to teach (Rabbi Eliezer in Eiruvin 63). The two sages do not disagree with one another. One of them looks at the נסתר, hidden aspect of the matter, i.e. the מקדש aspect, whereas the other looks at the נגלה aspect, i.e. at the aspect of משכן. We have explained that the two sons of Aaron strove for the most intimate relationship possible with G–d, i.e. the מקדש aspect. According to this view their death was actually occasioned by too close an affinity to G–d. They died בקרבתם לפני ה', because they came too close to G–d. We have explained this problem when we discussed the אצילי בני ישראל, another description of these sons of Aaron. They are reported in Exodus 24,11, as having seen the Lord and eaten and drunk. Their souls were so much exposed to the hidden "fire" of holiness that they died because of their being too close.

When Rav spoke about the righteous "sitting," he referred to their mode of life in this world Even in this world their physical enjoyments, i.e. נהנין, came from the brilliance of G–d's Presence; they made use of the comforts of this world only in order to better appreciate the brilliance of G–d's Presence. Rabbi Yehudah Hanassi's testimony meant that he had used all the comforts of this world only in order to further his Torah study and his spiritual advancement. When the Torah (Exodus 24,11) speaks about the אצילי בני ישראל, the spiritually most highly placed Israelites eating and drinking and enjoying a vision of G–d, this is an allusion to the motivation which should be present when we eat and drink while in this world. A similar allusion is found in Psalms 40,9: ותורתך בתוך מעי, "Your Torah is within my entrails." The correct way to live in this world is spelled out in Proverbs 21,23: שומר פיו ולשונו שומר מצרות נפשו, "He who guards his mouth and tongue, keeps his soul from troubles." Onkelos already explained (Genesis 2,7) that what makes a person into a human being is the power of speech. It follows that we have to sanctify ourselves through the manner in which we use this power of speech.