The inner significance of “chewing the cud.” • Why kelipas nogah is “worse” than the other three kelipos. • The future status of non-kosher animals.

The Torah portion of Shemini speaks about the animals, birds and fish that a Jew is forbidden to eat. Among those enumerated is the chazir (pig), which surprisingly will become permissible in the Messianic era. As noted by our Sages, the word itself alludes to its future transformation (the Hebrew root ches-zayin-reish means “to return”): “Why is it named chazir? Because the Holy One, Blessed be He, will return it to the Jewish people in the future.” Similarly, “In the future the chazir will be kosher.”

It states in the Torah (Vayikra 11:7): “And the pig, for its hoof is split and its hoof is completely separated, but it does not chew its cud; it is impure to you.” The Ohr Hachaim writes that the words “but if” are intended to impose a condition: If the pig does not chew its cud, it is impure to you. If it does, you may eat it. Accordingly, in the Messianic era, when the pig will chew its cud, it will be permissible.

At first glance this is very surprising, given that all of the Torah’s mitzvos are eternal. In fact, one of the Torah’s principles of faith is that “the Torah will never be replaced.” If such is the case, how can the pig become permissible when the Torah clearly states that it is forbidden?

The Ohr Hachaim maintains that the prohibition only applies to a pig that does not chew its cud; a pig that chews its cud is not prohibited.

The Radbaz disagrees, and interprets the verse in the figurative sense. The flesh of the pig will never become permissible, he writes, as the Torah’s commandments are eternal. Rather, “[In the Messianic era] the Jewish people will eat so abundantly (literally “so many fats”) it will be as if the flesh of the pig was permissible.” The pig itself, however, will remain an impure animal.

Both Rabbeinu Bachya and the Ritva (Kiddushin 49a) write that the pig is symbolic of the kingdom of Edom, but the pig itself will always be prohibited.

 

The Livyoson

Another animal that is currently forbidden (according to one opinion) but will be permissible in the Messianic era is the livyoson, or leviathan. According to the Jerusalem Talmud (end of Tractate Shabbos) the livyoson is an unclean fish. However, G-d will deem it kosher in the future, and will serve it at the special festive meal for the righteous. (According to the Babylonian Talmud (Chulin 67b) the livyoson is already kosher.)

The Rebbe has explained (see Likutei Sichos, Vol. 14) that in the first stage of the Days of Moshiach, only certain non-kosher animals (the pig, and according to another opinion the livyoson as well) will become permissible. In this initial period, a tiny amount of evil will still exist in the world despite the G-dly revelation.

In the second stage, evil will be completely nullified and G-d will fulfill the prophecy of “And I will cause the spirit of uncleanliness to depart from the earth.” At that time, uncleanliness in any form will be incompatible with the intensity of the G-dly revelation. All of the unclean animals, whose G-dly vitality is derived from kelipah, will become kosher.

(There are, however, differing opinions on the matter, as noted in Midrash Tehillim 146: “What is the meaning of ‘He releases the bound’? Some say that in the future G-d will make all of the unclean animals kosher… Others say He will not permit them, as it states, ‘Those who eat the flesh of the pig, etc.’ If G-d punishes and destroys those who eat the pig, how much more so will he obliterate the animal itself.” Thus according to one school of thought the non-kosher animals will become kosher, whereas the other maintains that they will simply become extinct.)

Returning the Sparks

Chasidus offers a deeper explanation of why the pig will become kosher (see hemshech of Mayim Rabim 5636 et al.:

The pig, like all of the other non-kosher animals, receives its G-dly vitality through the medium of the kelipos. In other words, the pig contains G-dly sparks, but they exist in a state of total concealment, as the forces of evil – the kelipos and sitra achra – do not allow them to be revealed. The pig is therefore forbidden for consumption.

This is also reflected in the pig’s external sign indicating its uncleanliness, i.e., the fact that it does not chew its cud. When an animal chews its cud, it brings up the food it has already digested and returns it into its mouth. Symbolically, this means that the animal has the potential for its spiritual “sparks of holiness” to be elevated and return to their Source. In the same way that the consumption of food adds strength and vitality to the physical body, so too does a kosher animal have the potential to add strength and vitality to the realm of holiness.

By contrast, when an animal does not chew it cud, this symbolizes that its G-dly sparks do not return to their Source. These sparks cannot be accessed or utilized by the realm of holiness, and remain hidden and controlled by kelipah.

In the Messianic era the world will be filled with G-dly illumination, as it states, “And the glory of the L-rd will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together.” At present, the pig is an unclean animal that does not chew its cud. But in the future, the sparks of holiness it contains will be drawn toward the G-dly light and become revealed. This spiritual transformation will be reflected in the pig’s physical change from an animal that does not chew its cud to one that does.

All of which helps to explain the words of the Midrash (Vayikra Rabba): “’…And the pig’ – this is a reference to Edom…Why is its name chazir? Because [in the future] it will return the crown to its rightful owners, as it states (Ovadiah 1:21): ‘And saviors shall ascend Mount Zion to judge the Mount of Esau, and the kingdom shall be the L-rd’s.’”

When G-d’s sovereignty will be revealed throughout creation, the sparks of holiness that exist in both the pig (in the literal sense) and the kingdom of Edom (in the allegorical sense) will be revealed. At that future time, Edom will “return the crown to its rightful owners,” meaning that its Divine sparks will return to their original Source. The pig will become a kosher animal, and the kingdom of Edom will be helpful and supportive of the Jewish people, as it is written (Yeshayahu 49:23): “And kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers; they shall bow down to you with their face toward the earth and lick up the dust of your feet.”

The Four Levels of Kelipah

As Chasidus explains (see Sefer Hasichos 5751 and 5750), each of the unclean animals mentioned in the Torah portion of Shemini having only one external sign of purity (the camel, rabbit, hare and pig) are symbolic of the four different levels of kelipah. As in known, three of these kelipos are absolutely and unequivocally unclean, spiritual entities that are entirely opposed to holiness. The fourth type of kelipah, kelipas nogah, is much closer to the realm of holiness. Nonetheless, it is still kelipah, and remains in opposition to holiness.

Symbolically, the camel, rabbit and hare correspond to the three kelipos that are entirely unclean, while the pig corresponds to kelipas nogah. (Of course, as a non-kosher animal, its vitality is derived from the three entirely unclean kelipos.) Accordingly, because the pig is closer to the realm of holiness than other non-kosher animals, its spiritual rectification will take place chronologically earlier, at the very beginning of the Messianic era, while the other unclean animals won’t become kosher until the later period.

Here, however, the analogy seems to falter. While the pig may be closer to the realm of holiness than other animals, the kingdom of Edom, as symbolized by the pig, has historically been the most evil in its interactions with the Jewish people. If so, how can Edom be identified with the most benign level of kelipah?

In fact, we find that Edom will receive its retribution in the Messianic era, as related by the Midrash (Shemos Rabba 35): “In the future, all of the nations will pay tribute to King Moshiach…followed by the kingdom of Edom, which will also want to pay tribute to Melech Hamoshiach. However, G-d will object, saying, ‘Rebuke the beast of the reed grass’ (Tehillim 68:31). …[Edom] is a beast that lives among the reeds, as it states (Tehillim 80:14): ‘The pig from the wood destroys it.’” But why, if Edom is spiritually analogous to the pig, will its tribute be rejected?

A Deeper Insight into Kelipah

One answer has to do with the nature of kelipas nogah: It is precisely because it is closer to the realm of holiness that it is more “problematic” than the other levels of kelipah. As will be explained, kelipah has no independent existence or vitality of its own; all of its power is ultimately derived from holiness.

To explain:

Kelipas nogah is the “bridge” that spans the chasm between the holy and non-holy domains. As an intermediary between the two opposing realms, kelipas nogah contains elements of both, and is in actuality closer to the side of holiness. Furthermore, because kelipas nogah has the potential to receive its vitality from holiness, it serves as the channel through which the three other kelipos receive their sustenance, as they themselves, being entirely unclean, cannot receive holiness directly.

In this sense, kelipas nogah is “guilty” of sustaining all of the other kelipos and giving them their power, as all of the unclean forces in the world must pass through it. This also explains why the kingdom of Edom (the “pig,” corresponding to kelipas nogah) is “guiltier” than any other nation and will eventually be chastised.

All of which leads us to another question: If the kingdom of Edom is associated with kelipas nogah, which makes it “worse” than the other nations of the world, why will the animal pig be “rewarded” with becoming kosher, whereas Edom will be rebuked?

The answer has to do with the chronology of the Messianic era. In the first stage of the Days of Moshiach, G-d will refuse to purify the kingdom of Edom – not because of its intrinsic evil but because of its role as intermediary. In the second stage, G-d will sever its connection to the three completely unclean kelipos, at which time Edom will no longer serve as a channel for their vitality and will become “kosher.”

This is also the inner, esoteric explanation of G-d’s statement to the kingdom of Edom, “Rebuke the beast of the reed grass”: The Hebrew word for reed grass, “kaneh,” spelled kuf-nun-hei, is symbolic of kelipah, primarily by virtue of its initial letter kuf. (The main difference between the kuf and the hei is that the left “leg” of the kuf extends below the line, symbolically channeling vitality downward to the realm of kelipah.) As noted previously, when Edom will ask to pay tribute to King Moshiach, G-d’s response will be, “Rebuke the beast of the reed grass.” This “rebuke” will consist of the nullification or shortening of the left “leg” of the kuf, transforming the word “kaneh” into “hinei,” meaning “here,” which according to our Sages is a reference to the era of the Redemption, as it states (Yeshayahu 25:9): “And it shall be said on that day, this (hinei) is our G-d, we have waited for him that He should save us; this is the L-rd, we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” At that time, when G-dly vitality will no longer be channeled to the realm of kelipos, both the actual pig and the kingdom of Edom will be spiritually rectified and rendered “kosher.”

Also See: Why Will The Pig Become Kosher?