Myśl Żydowska do Wyjścia 34:24

Individual heresy, discussed in our Parsha also, (29,17 et al) may be understood thus. Man is compared to the tree of the field (Deut. Just as a garden may contain many trees, some bearing fruit though poisonous, although all are drawing their nourishment from the same brook flowing nearby, so the waters of Torah too, being the source of our sustenance do not produce the same results in all people. Where there is a rotten core, even the purest form of nourishment can become contaminated. Our Parshah deals with individuals who may have a rotten core, in whom even the study of Torah sooner or later leads to undesirable results. This is why the Talmud in Chullin 133, tells us that students of bad character should not be given instruction, as it would be foolish to accord honour to a fool, or worse still, to further heresy. The fool is he who professes to believe that the strictures we read in the Torah apply only to believers, to people who had first affirmed the tenets of the Jewish religion. They think that those who have never accepted the Torah as a yardstick for their personal conduct, are exempt from G'ds retribution. It is to such individuals that the Torah addresses itself in our chapter. Contrary to what they think, such people will be singled out for special attention. They would not even be able to enjoy the blessings bestowed by G'd on His people due to the people's overwhelmingly loyal adherence to G'd and His Torah. In verse eighteen, the thought processes of the evil hearted people are described. "In order that the well watered confer its benefit on the dry by mere proximity." The Torah describes the following scenario: Two fields thrive, due to the presence nearby of a natural water supply. A third field nearby requires artificial irrigation. The owner of the third field, relying on the proximity of his field to the other two which enjoy a natural source of water supply, neglects to irrigate his field by failing to install the necessary mechanism. The Torah, by describing the punishment of such a farmer as particularly harsh, i.e. "He will wipe out his name," (29,19) stresses that this kind of penalty is reserved for individuals. In exploding the myth that since the community will prosper, the individual cannot suffer regardless of his conduct, the Torah merely applies to Israel the promise of G'd after the deluge. Likewise, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah had taught this lesson about evil minded communities. The Torah completes the chapter by explaining that the function of the Jewish Court of Law is to act as G'ds representative for crimes committed publicly, but that transgressions which occur in private, and cannot be dealt with by the judiciary, will be taken care of by G'd personally.

Meat boiled in milk is undoubtedly gross food, and makes overfull; but I think that most probably it is also prohibited because it is somehow connected with idolatry, forming perhaps part of the service, or being used on some festival of the heathen. I find a support for this view in the circumstance that the Law mentions the prohibition twice after the commandment given concerning the festivals “Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord God” (Exod. 23:17, and 34:73), as if to say, “When you come before me on your festivals, do not seethe your food in the manner as the heathen used to do.” This I consider as the best reason for the prohibition: but as far as I have seen the books on Sabean rites, nothing is mentioned of this custom.