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Kee Tetze

Deuteronomy 21:10 – 25:19

Isaiah 54:1 – 10

One of the most unfathomable, arcane, seemingly meaningless commandments in the entire Torah is found in Kee Tetze. Termed shatnez in Hebrew, this "law of forbidden unnatural mixtures" admonishes individuals against wearing the clothing of the opposite sex, sowing the same field with two different kinds of seeds, plowing land with an ox and an ass yoked together, or wearing a mixture of linen and wool (Deut. 22:5-22:11). Deuteronomy is not the only book of the Torah where this cryptic prohibition is decreed.

Following the well-known maxim in the Holiness Code — "Kedoshim teheyu ki kadosh ani Adonai Elohaychem, You shall be holy for I the Lord Your God am holy" — the centerpiece of the Book of Leviticus (19:1ff) is another statement prohibiting shatnez:

"Love thy neighbor as thyself. You shall not allow your cattle to mate with a different species. You shall not sow two different kinds of seed in the same field. You shall not wear a garment made from a mixture of wool and linen" (Lev. 19:19).

A student of the Torah would do well to wonder why the biblical author thought it a good idea to follow a cherished meritorious maxim, "Love thy neighbor as thyself with the unrelated concept, "You shall not allow your cattle to mate with a different species." Rashi, the medieval French commentator, was unable to clarify this problem and classified shatnez as an example of one of the chukim (divine decrees) whose rationale cannot be discerned.

In spite of the obscure relationship between this lofty ideal and a poorly understood ancient instruction, the biblical author articulated an important core concept of what it means to be a Jew. It is the principle of kedushah (holiness), a distinction or separation between different components of daily living.

For example, each Shabbat ends with a Havdallah ceremony. Havdallah concludes with a prayer that thanks God for these separations — hamavdil bayn kodesh le chol — between the holy and the profane, the seventh day and the six working days, between Israel and the other nations, and so forth.

The notion that there should be limitations and boundaries may seem anachronistic in our modern era. But for our ancestors, separateness, an inextricable component of a sanctified life, was as important as the most uplifting ethical doctrine because it defined holiness in many of areas:

1. The distinction between man and God: The Jewish understanding of the universe is incompatible with the belief that a man could become God. We must bear this in mind, in spite of the modern tendency to blur this distinction when we elevate and even worship individuals over community. Such an act of hubris is viewed as crossing a boundary that must not be violated.

2. The distinction between man and woman: Jewish tradition teaches that there is a distinction between the sexes, not only in anatomy, but also in gender-specific roles in the social, religious and cultural environment. While equality of the sexes in many areas is essential, it, nevertheless, cannot be denied that there are significant differences that cannot be eliminated.

3. The distinction between holy and common time: Jews invented Shabbat, sanctifying one day out of the week. The popular practice of people working "24/7" violates the limits between sacred and profane time. Today, for most Jews, as for others, Shabbat is no longer a time with boundaries separate and apart from the rest of the week.

4. The distinction between human beings and animals: Judaism does not view animals as the equal to human beings. Jews elevate and sanctify human needs by defining behaviors related to matters such as food and sex, something unknown in the animal kingdom.

5. The distinction between life and death: Life remains separate from death. Jews are not obsessed with mourning or living in the past. The Jewish objective is the betterment of the world in this life and not the focus on salvation, reincarnation and resurrection, so central to other religions.

6. The distinction between good and evil: Jewish law denounces the indulgent notion that certain actions are permitted some of the time and forbidden at others. The eternal truths of the Torah are inviolate even though we live in an age of moral relativism with its concomitant blurring of good and bad.

The Torah and, by extension, Judaism, do not accept purely arbitrary behavior. Rather, Jews hold that boundaries are the basis for law, ethical behavior and holiness. We cannot be holy by loving our neighbors as ourselves if they and we do not respect the importance of law that is based on clear distinctions that define human behavior.