Shalom Rabbi,

If it was prohibited to kill animals from Adam to Noah how is it explained that Abel brought an animal from his flock as an offering to HaShem?

Don

 

Hi Donald!

 
A very perceptive question.  Many great Torah scholars have asked the same question!

 
There are three answers:

1)      Zohar and many midrashim – It was an offering of wool only.  His offering was what the Torah later calls the reishis hagaz – the offering of the first shearings of the flock.  See Devarim (Deuteronomy) 18:4: You are to give them the first fruits of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the first wool from the shearing of your sheep.

2)      Commentary of Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher on the Torah - The sheep were not actually sacrificed, only consecrated to G-d.  We see later that Noah, who was allowed to eat animals, gave his offerings upon an altar and clearly sacrificed them. See Genesis 8:20: And Noah built an altar to the Lord, and he took of all the clean animals and of all the clean fowl and brought up burnt offerings on the altar.  In other discussions of sacrifices in the Torah, they almost always mention an altar or method of sacrifice. However, by Hevel (Abel) the Torah tells us only that he “brought them.”  

I find this explanation difficult because the Talmud in Tractate Zevachim 116a describes Hevel (Abel’s) offering as an actual sacrifice.

3)      Many, many commentaries explain that the sheep were actually slaughtered.  The Talmud, Sanhedrin 59b cites Bereshis (Genesis) 1:29-30 as the source of Adam’s prohibition against eating meat:

And God said, "Behold, I have given you every seed bearing herb, which is upon the surface of the entire earth, and every tree that has seed bearing fruit; it will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and to all the fowl of the heavens, and to everything that moves upon the earth, in which there is a living spirit, every green herb to eat," and it was so.

Tosafos (a compilation of medieval critical commentaries on the Talmud) explains that this was specifically a prohibition against killing animals for food. Adam was permitted, however, to eat of an animal that died on its own.

Rambam (Hilchos Melachim 9:1) holds,  that Adam was completely prohibited from eating any meat.

The Aruch LaNer (Rabbi Yaakov Ettlinger, 1798 – 1871) explains that Tosafos holds Adam was permitted to kill and use animals for other purposes.  Note that the Torah doesn’t actually prohibit eating meat in Genesis 1:29 to 30, it only states what is permitted to eat – vegetation.  The concern of the Torah appears to be entirely dietary.  

Admittedly, Tosafos’s explanation is difficult to understand, because it does not fit in well with the plain language of the Talmud or the Torah.  However, it certainly explains why Hevel (Abel) was able (no pun intended) to give an offering of a sheep.  

According to Rambam, however, who holds that Adam was not at all allowed to eat meat, Hevel (Abel’s) offering is difficult to explain.  Apparently, the Rambam agrees that Adam was allowed to kill animals for other needs. However, if Adam  was not allowed to eat animals, then he cannot have been permitted to bring them as a sacrifice.  This is because there is a general rule about sacrifices: One is only allowed to bring as an offering that which he is permitted to eat.

The Kli Chemdah (Rabbi Meir Dan Plotzky) points out that this rule only applies to things that are actually prohibited from being eaten.  To Adam, Meat was never actually prohibited.  Rather, the Torah only told Adam what he was permitted to eat: vegetation.  There was not actually a prohibition placed upon meat.

Many later Torah scholars bring proofs that this rule about sacrifices only applies to Jews, however, and not Noahides. Therefore, there would be no problem to say that Hevel (Abel) slaughtered the animals as a sacrifice.

Incidentally, the Talmud in Tractate Avodah Zarah 8a demonstrated that Adam himself brought offerings.

Thanks!

 
Rabbi Bloomenstiel

 

For a far more in-depth and advanced study of all the Seven Noahide Laws consider taking the Noahide Laws Yeshiva Course.

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Shalom Rabbi,

I have just listened to lesson 9 and am struggling with the issue of Abraham - it's a tad confusing.  I would be interested to read the article about Abraham you mentioned. Thanks.

I will send it before passover (have to dig it up from the computer).  The gist is that Abraham had a unique covenant with God.  He was not 100% a Noachide because God gave him additional mitzvos unique to him and his family.  Hashem also made a unique covenant with Abraham that was not made with the rest of man.   At the same time, Abraham was not given the Torah nor bound in the Sinaitic covenant, so he was not a Jew.

 
I sometimes wonder why there is this desire for HaShem, Israel and finding the right path when it doesn't seem that important.  Unless you have a Jewish soul you don't seem to be important.  Maybe it's an ego thing that we desire to be special, desire to be God's children/chosen.

I have heard the same frustration expressed by many people. Don't take this the wrong way, but a lot of it stems from misunderstanding the meaning and role of "the chosen people."  A Jew does not automatically feel closer to God or have an easier time feeling connected to Him than a nonJew.  Both the Jewish and non-Jewish relationships are just that: relationships.  They take a lot of work, time, effort, and reflection.

One of the biggest differences between these two relationships is that the Jewish one is guided by 613 mitzvos, while the non-Jewish is guided by 7 categories of mitzvos - the Noahide laws. This path contains everything someone who is not Jewish needs to build a full, meaningful relationship with God.

Unfortunately, due to a difficult history, this path has been neglected for centuries. The Church and other enemies of the Torah have for years sought to steer non-Jews away from Torah.  As a result, the non-Jewish world has largely forgotten their path.  It is only in the past 35 years that the non-Jewish world has began to rediscover the "right way" to connect with God.  Just like the Jewish relationship, though, it takes study and work.

You wonder why you have a desire for these things.  That is an easy question to answer - Torah and Hashem are true, the foundations of the soul, and the purpose of life! Of course you want these things!

Know that you, Vicki ARE A CHILD OF GOD.  You are in search of the path to Him.  Judaism & Israel is not the path you were born into. You were born a child of Noah, and have a spiritual heritage associated with that. Embrace it and live it.  It is a process that takes time, but again - it is a relationship.  If you feel that it does not meet your desires, then you have the option of joining Israel. That door is there.

I am by nature impatient, I know that, and I am trying hard to sit back and take each lesson as it comes but sometimes it seems that we just be good people and live life accordingly.

Yes - it is enough to be good and live a good life.  However, if every person defines that for himself, then we end up with a world in which "being good" is entirely subjective and relative. That situation quickly becomes chaotic (this is what happened in the decline from Adam to the Generation of the flood).  God provides guidelines and descriptions of how to be good and what a "good life" truly is.

Is there a purpose?  

Oh  yes.

The Jewish people have purpose and a hope - do we?  

100% yes.

Can we elevate our soul to become more like God?

100% yes.  The idea of "keeping the seven mitzvos" is that by doing so one makes God's will her will, His values her values.  In that way, one becomes like God.

I don't even know if this is making sense.  It is hard to articulate what I am feeling.

I think you are making perfect sense.

From a young child I have questioned and searched for truth and now I don't know if I'm going to like it.  One of my questions was 'why didn't God love me enough to make me Jew?'

The very fact that God made you is a sign of His great love for you.  God doesn't need any of us.  He is perfect in all ways.  Whenever God creates anything, it is an act of pure altruism. He created you, for your sake.  As to why He didn't make you a Jew, know this: No one is created in their final state. We are all made as raw material and given tools and signs by which to shape ourselves. Perhaps you are meant to find your mission and purpose through the Noahide law. Perhaps your purpose is to become a Jew.  To question why God created us one way or another is to miss the more important question:  where does God want me to go, and what does He want me to do?   

Anyway, I will press on.  I am enjoying the lectures - it is more intense than I expected but I do like a challenge.

It only gets worse from here on! A lot of these topics are big and require careful exploration.  It is important not to draw any conclusions until we have finished any given section. Right now we are in the middle of ger toshav and Noahide identity.  This will take a few weeks to go through, and will look at things from many different angles. There is a definite answer at the end, but more important than the answer itself is knowing why it is the answer.

Again, thank you for all your work and effort it is much appreciated.

It is my pleasure.

 

For a far more in-depth and advanced study of all the Seven Noahide Laws consider taking the Noahide Laws Yeshiva Course.

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Question – Answers are in italics.

"There is no merit / blessing  in carrying out  "commandments not meant for you"  or not Hashem's command for you."

1.  Whats the rational or explanation for Rechabites receiving merit / blessing from Hashem for observing the commandments given by Jonadab son of Rechab ?

See above

2.    Understand that Rechabites are Kenites  and converts. How is it alright  ( condone ) for them to have extra commandments to live by ?  Is this not adding or substracting from the Torah?

As above.

3.    Understand that drinking wine is mandated for Jews during observance of festivals or rituals in Torah? I am not familiar here with the actual laws on this. However if its a whole life time in not drinking wine, it would seem that Rechabites can't observe the festival fully like  Pesach or Shabbat or wine libation ?

This is discussed in a Tosafos to Talmud Nazir 4a, d.h. Mai hi.  If the drinking of the wine itself is a  biblically mandated mitzvah, then the Nazir was already obligated in that mitzvah before he took his voluntary vow of Nazirus.  His voluntary vow cannot absolve him of a preexisting torah obligation.  As for kiddush, the recitation of kiddush is biblically mandated, but not the actual drinking of the wine.  In that case, he would not be allowed to do so.  

Indeed, I have seen propositions that a Nazir may not drink the four cups on Passover.  According to those, the Nazir would rely on the Rema to Orach Chaim 483:1 (from the Shulchan Aruch, code of Torah Law) who permits one that cannot consume wine to fulfill the mitzvah with beer or meat.

 4.   Hence my curiosity as to the unconditional blessing they receive from Hashem for their zealous observance of Jonadab son of  Rechab instructions? Understand that they sit in the Sanhedrin too.

Their blessings was that they not only kept the torah at a time when torah observance. Was impoverished, but that they also kept the additional vows of Nazirites, and that they did so because of an ancestral promise that they desired to uphold.  In a generations of poor spiritual accomplishments, they went above and beyond.  That is exactly the praise given to them by the prophet in Yerimiyah 35.  He uses their example as rebuke to the rest of Israel.

Thank you Rabbi Bloomenstiel for your time.

Basil

For a far more in-depth and advanced study of all the Seven Noahide Laws consider taking the Noahide Laws Yeshiva Course.

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Ofer Gamliel wrote:

 

Dear Rabbi,

Why is it recommended not to read the book of Raziel the Angel? Thank you.

Dear Ofer Gamliel,

I heard the following from known Kabbalists here in Jerusalem. There is an ancient authoritative Kabbalistic work called Raziel HaMalach (Raziel the Angel). This book is cited by the Zohar, but the book itself was lost over a thousand years ago.

What is known today as the book of Raziel HaMalach is actually a distorted version of a genuine Kabbalistic work written by one of the Rishonim (11th - 15th century commentators). One of the Rishonim wrote a Kabbalistic work, not called Raziel Hamalach. Later, probably before the time of the Arizal (16th century), somebody took this work, added his own ideas to it and added pieces from sources inconsistent with traditional Jewish thought. He then published it under the title Raziel HaMalach. This work is not studied in the Kabbalistic schools.

 

Originally posted on the Kabbalah-Wannabee Ask the Rabbi Section

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