"This is an animal that will eat" (11: 2). Pets are allowed in the food - it is those whose parts the hoof, and that "regurgitate the cud." They feed on herbs and have a quiet and gentle disposition. Predators, feeding on other animals, we are prohibited. If they eat, it will cause the cruelty in the soul, as our teacher.

It is appropriate to conduct a study. Do animals become prey because of its cruelty, or, conversely, by the fact that prey on others, they become violent?

Rabbi Abarbanel solved this question on the basis of Scripture. On the future of the world says, "The Lion, as an ox, will eat straw. They will not do evil and destroy on all my holy mountain "(Yishai 11: 9). This shows that the dietary habits perpetuate moral qualities.

How important it is to respect the right food for us!

Nowadays, thanks to genetic engineering, when people learned how to implement quality in some other animals, can theoretically create a colt with cloven hooves and cud burps. But whether such an ass allowed to eat? It seems like a thousand years ago, Rambam was asked a similar question, and he wrote (Moreh Nevuchim 3:48): "You should know that these signs - cloven hooves and spit gum in animals, fins and scales of fish - are not the cause of authorization and their absence is not the reason for the ban. This is only a sign by which differs a decent look from the useless. "

Rabbi Chaim Paladzhi in the book "Chaim Tohehat" to our Parsha wrote: "Let a man stares and shows punctuality, so as not to accidentally consume in food and drink anything forbidden. Moreover, if he does not eat any fruit for fear of stumbling on worms and so on. N., If not buy them for their children and family. After all, what's the point to watch out for them while they feed others?

Also let them beware, if the house has worm-eaten foods, not to leave their homes. It said: "Do not take up residence in his tent iniquity" (Job 11:14). Otherwise it will come to sin, and because of him, it will eat the other, with his consent, or not, by mistake or intentionally. But sin will hang around his neck.

I heard from the people of truth, that the holy teacher, the divine Kabbalist Rabbi Shalom Mizrachi Sharabi once had a dream where he was told that his house is something forbidden. Why did not he destroy it? He began to search again and again, what is so banned it there, and did not find anything. Rav greatly grieved because of this. As a result, he had a second dream: he was told that he had kept the house cherry jam and honey, which bred worms. It should be discarded, in order not to enter into the sin of someone from the household.

And let there always when a person eats and drinks, and his eyes are watchful and attentive to the plate or glass was not any insect or flea, especially on summer days. You need to carefully guard against this, especially at night, when there are fleas, ants and other insects, and reptiles. If a person is cautious, then Gd would help him, that he stumbled. Cometh help cleanse! (Yoma 38 b) "(Mayan and-Shavua)