Parashat Shemini: Why Does Eating Kosher Food Mindfully Help Us Merit Living in The Holy Land?

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Parashat Shemini

Why Does Eating Kosher Food Mindfully Help Us Merit Living in The Holy Land? 

Why Were Many Newcomers to Torah Vegetarian Before Embracing the Torah Path?
My husband and I were both vegetarians for a period before joining a yeshiva and returning to the Torah path. We soon discovered that many other ba’alei teshuvah shared a similar experience – instinctively cutting out meat a while before embracing the Torah path. Looking back, it’s clear this wasn’t a coincidence. For many of us, abstaining from meat was an unconscious preparation for spiritual sensitivity – a distancing from the unrefined in pursuit of the pure. 

Returning to meat wasn’t easy. It was even more challenging for us environmentalists who cared deeply about animal life and found the concept of animal sacrifice especially difficult to accept. It took heartfelt guidance from our beloved teacher, Rabbi Goldstein zt”l, who explained that sacrifices are not merely ritual slaughter but acts of elevation. The animals, he said, willingly stretched their necks – not as victims, but as offerings ascending to a higher spiritual state. “When a Jew eats meat mindfully,” he taught us, “the animal becomes part of something far greater – not just a human being, but a holy Jew.” 

This is especially true at a Shabbat table where the food’s energy is directed toward singing holy tunes, sharing words of Torah, and mitzvot. Rabbi Goldstein encouraged us to print menu cards for our Shabbat meals that proclaimed: “Our table is a mizbeach (altar), and our food is a korban (sacrifice).” We would joyfully recite this sentence each time we broke bread, transforming our meals into a form of avodah (spiritual service). I believe our temporary abstinence from meat helped purify our hearts and made us more receptive to the truth of Torah. Our yearning for holiness led us to intuitively reject impure, non-kosher meat, which is a spiritually numbing food that dulls the soul and clouds inner perception. After learning the laws of kashrut, most of us gradually returned to eating meat, this time with reverence and discernment, understanding that kosher meat – consumed with mindful intention – is not a descent into the physical but a pathway for spiritual elevation.

How is the Responsibility of Holiness Distinguished in the Land of Israel?
Parashat Shemini centers on the sanctity of the Mishkan and the strict requirements for Divine service. For many of us who returned to Torah observance, the process of spiritual growth began with refining what we ate and how we lived here in the Holy Land. It is no coincidence that the Torah places great emphasis on holiness in physical acts, especially in eating. The sanctity of the Mishkan – the dwelling place of the Shechinah – required preparation, purity, and boundaries. Likewise, the sanctity of the Land of Israel depends on how we live within it and sanctify the physical, Eretz Yisrael, even the physical becomes spiritual. Being careful to eat only kosher food – from which the blood of the animal has been removed – is one way to merit living in the holy land.

ספר ויקרא פרק יא פסוק מג אַל תְּשַׁקְּצוּ אֶת נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם בְּכָל הַשֶּׁרֶץ הַשֹּׁרֵץ וְלֹא תִטַּמְּאוּ בָּהֶם וְנִטְמֵתֶם בָּם:

“You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping creature that creeps, and you shall not defile yourselves with them, that you should become impure through them” (Vayikra 11:43).

The Ramban explains that the holiness of the land is bound to our actions. The mitzvot were primarily given to be fulfilled in the Land of Israel, and it is only here that the Shechinah can truly dwell. Since the Land of Israel, the center of the inhabited world, is the inheritance of Hashem, and specially designated for His Name, when dwelling in His Land we must be sanctified in our conduct, to be worthy of His presence. This is especially so in matters of forbidden relationships and other mitzvot tied to the purity of body and soul.  That is why the Torah warns: “Keep all My statutes and ordinances… so that the Land does not vomit you out” (Vayikra 20:22). Eretz Yisrael does not tolerate impurity. Outside the Land – even though all belongs to Hashem – purity is never complete due to the ruling spiritual forces, and nations assigned their own celestial guardians. But in the Land of Yisrael, Hashem alone is our G-d, and we are uniquely bound to Him. The fullness of Divine service is meant to take place specifically in the Land of Israel (Ramban, Vayikra 18:25).

What is the Connection Between the Holiness of the Mishkan and the Land of Israel?

Eretz Yisrael is not just a backdrop for holiness – it is a living participant in the spiritual destiny of the Jewish people. The Torah teaches that the land will “vomit out” those who defile it (Vayikra 18:28), emphasizing that Eretz Yisrael cannot tolerate sin. The Sifra elaborates that the land itself becomes defiled through immoral behavior and, as a consequence, expels its inhabitants (Sifra Acharei Mot 13). 

This spiritual sensitivity distinguishes the Holy Land from all other lands. Entering Egypt was optional, but entering the Land of Israel is a Divine obligation. In Egypt, whether or not Bnei Yisrael followed Hashem’s will, they were allowed to remain. But Eretz Yisrael is different. If you fulfill the will of the Creator, then the land of Canaan is given to you. But if not, you are exiled from it. As it states: “Let not the land vomit you out for defiling it” (Vayikra 18:28); (Sifre Parashat Ekev Piska 2). This makes living in the Land of Israel not just a privilege, but a responsibility. 

Holiness is not an automatic consequence of being in a holy place – it must be cultivated through Torah, mitzvot, and inner refinement. The connection between the Mishkan and the Land is rooted in this shared sanctity. Just as the Shechinah only rested in the Mishkan when Israel was purified, so too does it rest in the Land only when its inhabitants live with spiritual integrity. As Rav Moshe Cordovero teaches, the desert generation experienced the spiritual reality of Eretz Yisrael even before entering its borders – for the air, atmosphere, and angels of the Land accompanied the Shechinah wherever it rested. “…the air of the Land of Israel went with the generation of the desert… with the Shechinah, which traveled with them… until the entry into the Land of Israel, to its appropriate place. There is the resting place of sanctity, for there is the gateway to heaven” (Pardes Rimonim 25:2). 

Thus, the Land of Israel is not just the destination of our national journey – it is the vessel for Divine presence. Its holiness responds to our behavior. When we live with purity and intention, the Shechinah dwells among us. But when we defile the Land, it recoils. Just as the Shechinah departed the Mishkan when sanctity was breached, so too does the Land expel those who abandon the path of holiness.

Why is Eating in Holiness the Kosher Pathway to Divine Awareness?

Parashat Shemini includes the foundational laws of kashrut, distinguishing between pure and impure animals. “For I am Hashem who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your G-d – you shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Vayikra 11:45). Rashi notes that this verse implies the very act of keeping kosher elevates us to holiness (Rashi, Vayikra 11:45). Eating is one of the most physical and earthly acts – yet the Torah teaches that it can become an act of holiness. The food we ingest becomes part of our bodies – and thus, part of the vessels through which we serve Hashem. 

The Zohar notes that וְנִטְמֵתֶם בָּם “You shall become impure through them” (Vayikra 11:43) is written defectively, without an alef, to imply a state of sealed impurity from which there is no easy purification. Whoever defiles himself with unkosher foods is considered as if he worships idols. One who serves idolatry departs from the realm of holiness and enters the realm of impurity. So too, one who eats forbidden foods is drawn into spiritual defilement – in this world and the next. Therefore, it is written: “Do not make yourselves abominable through the animal and the bird and all that creeps on the ground, which I have set apart from you to regard as impure” (Vayikra 20:25); (Zohar III, 42a). 

Non-kosher food cannot be elevated; it dulls the soul and causes spiritual insensitivity that prevents us from fully experiencing closeness with Hashem. On the other hand, eating kosher food in sanctity with the right intention can be spiritually transformative. It allows us to elevate the physical world and turn it into a vehicle for Divine service. When we bless with kavanah, eat mindfully, and use that energy to serve Hashem, we elevate the physical and transform it into an experience of spiritual connection (Tanya, Likutei Amarim, Chapter 7). This has particular resonance in the Land of Israel. Only kosher food – ideally grown or prepared with mitzvah-consciousness – resonates with the spiritual frequency of the Land. Eating in holiness becomes a pathway for aligning with Eretz Yisrael’s inherent sanctity.

Which Efforts Can Help Us Live in True Shalom in the Holy Land?

Parashat Shemini reminds us that holiness is not about otherworldliness – it is about elevating the world we live in. Whether it is fire brought to the altar or food brought to our lips, the way we live and what we consume matter deeply. The Land of Israel magnifies this truth. It is a land that responds to the spiritual level of its inhabitants – and demands their moral and spiritual refinement. In the place where the Shechinah resides, we are invited to uplift the physical through mindful mitzvah performance. Here, eating kosher food in holiness is not only a mitzvah but a key that unlocks deeper alignment with the land’s essence. The mitzvot hateluyot ba’aretz – agricultural commandments unique to the Land – illustrate this unity between body and soul, sustenance and sanctity. Tithes, Terumot, Ma’aserot, and the Shemitah year remind us that even our eating must be done in covenant with Hashem. 

May we merit to eat in holiness, dwell in holiness, and uplift every corner of our physical lives, especially in the holy atmosphere of Eretz Yisrael. May our endeavors to live holy lives in the holy land bring about lasting shalom to the Land of Israel and the world! May our efforts to sanctify the mundane empower our holy soldiers to liberate the Land in its entirety. May our sincere service return the Shechinah in her full glory to her sacred resting place.

Why Would Performing the Mitzvah of Bikkurim (First Fruit Offering) Enable us to Merit the Land?

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Parashat Ki Tavo

Why Would Performing the Mitzvah of Bikkurim (First Fruit Offering) Enable Us to Merit the Land?

In the Land of Israel, the Physical and the Spiritual Realms are Intertwined

Since my last international speaking tour just prior to COVID-19, it seems that so many of our friends and supporters have made Aliyah, and even more are working on making Aliyah. In fact, some 70,000 new immigrants from 95 countries made aliyah in 2022. It was the largest number of olim to arrive in 23 years and a dramatic increase over the previous year when only 28,600 new immigrants were welcomed. COVID-19 generated a paradigm shift that made us face our mortality, contemplate the purpose of life, and our role in the world. Many Torah-observant Jews realized that the true place for a Jew is to live in the Promised Land. Here in Israel, even the mundane and earthly realm is imbued with spirituality as it states, “A Land in which you do not eat bread in measure, you will not be lacking anything in it” (Devarim 8:9). This teaches us that when the Jewish people live in the Land of Israel, we may merit to be on such a level, that acquisition of wealth even luxuries won’t damage our true spiritual perfection. Rather, our wealth will help us increase strength and spiritual perfection in Hashem’s straight path. Through physical abundance, our spiritual level will rise (Rav Kook, Ein Aya, Berachot 6:15). There has been a gap and disunity between body and soul, holy and mundane, ever since the magnificent physical building of our holy Temple exuding the highest spiritual light was destroyed. Throughout our exiles, the spiritual realm has been disengaged from the physical to the extent that teachings such as the Talmudic statement that a Talmid Chacham (Torah scholar) may not walk in public with a stain on his clothing (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 114a) were given little weight. Since the founding of the State of Israel, we began the process of integrating the physical within the spiritual realm. It’s hard to describe how this principle plays out in our daily day life in Israel. All I can say is that when living in Israel you really experience that every tree, flower, and fruit is holy. As I look out of my window behind my computer I see my neighbor’s holy grape-wines winding themselves along our laundry line on the backdrop of the most brilliant, bluest sky. Yes, in Land of Israel heaven and earth are truly one!

Why Would Performing the Mitzvah of Bikkurim Enable Us to Merit the Land?

We usually read Parashat Ki Tavo at the beginning of the fig harvest, the fruit which is especially singled out for the first fruit offering as it states, A person goes down into his field and sees a fig that has ripened. He winds a reed around it for a sign and declares: “This is the בִּכּוּרִים/bikkurim – “first fruit” (Mishnah Bikkurim 3:1; Rashi, Devarim 26:2). We’re excitedly awaiting the time to be able to perform this mitzvah from the Torah with the shiny fruits of our labor:

ספר דברים פרק כו פסוק א 

וְהָיָה כִּי תָבוֹא אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה וִירִשְׁתָּהּ וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בָּהּ: (ב) וְלָקַחְתָּ מֵרֵאשִׁית כָּל פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר תָּבִיא מֵאַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ וְשַׂמְתָּ בַטֶּנֶא וְהָלַכְתָּ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְשַׁכֵּן שְׁמוֹ שָׁם:

“It shall be, when you come into the land which Hashem, your G-d, gives you for an inheritance, and you possess it and settle in it, that you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which you will bring from your land, which Hashem, your G-d, is giving you. Then you shall put [them] into a basket and go to the place which Hashem, your G-d, will choose to have His Name dwell there” (Devarim 26:1-2).

The authoritative halachic midrash, Sifrei, teaches that through performing the mitzvah of bikkurim we will merit of entering the land [of Israel]” (Sifrei, Devarim, Parashat Ki Tavo 1).

Why would performing the mitzvah of bikkurim (first fruit) enable us to merit the land? Moreover, since this mitzvah could only be performed after the lengthy process of conquering and dividing the land, which lasted 14 years, how could it bring about entering the land that happened several years prior?

Acquiring the Two Foundations of a Jew: Kedusha (Holiness) and Emunah (Faith)

Netivot Shalom explains that to merit the Land of Israel we need to acquire two main foundations of serving Hashem: Emunah (faith) and Kedusha (holiness). Emunah implies believing that only Hashem runs the world, and none of our own efforts, strengths, or the might of our hands bring about anything without Hashem willing it. Kedusha is to subjugate our cravings and hand over our enjoyment and lusts to Hashem. When the Temple will be rebuilt B”H, I will infuse myself with holiness, as I go down to my orchard and tie a red string around one of the most succulent figs. I will be subjugating my base desire to gobble it up myself, while I proclaim that it is bikkurim. Offering the first and the best to Hashem will ingrain my emunah that absolutely nothing can exist or grow without Hashem bringing it into creation. During our wandering in the wilderness, we by default acquired the two foundations of kedusha and emunah by quenching our thirst through the holy, miraculous well of Miriam and receiving bread directly from heaven. Whereas regular food arouses lust, eating the manna directly from Hashem’s hand imbued us with the highest holiness. The wilderness wandering experience moreover strengthened our emunah by imprinting within our consciousness how no one but Hashem led us through individual providence.

Through the mitzvah of Bikkurim we Can Enter the Physical Realm of the Land while Maintaining our levels of Emunah and Kedusha

When we were on the verge of entering the Land of Israel, we were afraid of losing our high levels of kedusha and emunah of the wilderness, as we would have to work within the physical realm to sustain ourselves. When doing all the work necessary to grow the fruits of the land, it would be much harder to maintain the clear belief that everything emanates from Hashem, rather than from the power of our own hands. Therefore, Hashem gave us the mitzvah of bikkurim to enable us to enter the Land of Israel and be occupied in earthly pursuits while maintaining our levels of emunah and kedusha. Although we work so hard plowing, sowing, weeding, composting, etc. for the fruit of our labor, the mitzvah of bikkurim – offering the first fruits to Hashem – ensures our emunah that “it is Hashem our G-d, who gives us strength to make wealth…” Rather than being enticed by the erroneous belief that “My strength and the might of my hand has accumulated this wealth for me.” (Devarim 8:17-18). Moreover, our willingness to hand over to Hashem our cravings to grab the first fruit for ourselves – which naturally is the object of our greatest desire – elevates us to the level of holiness. Thus, by offering our earthly goods to Hashem through the mitzvah of bikkurim we can strengthen our clarity of emunah and sanctify ourselves in kedusha while being involved in earthly pursuits. Therefore, this mitzvah enables us to merit to enter the land of Israel.

Overcoming the two Worst Husks Opposing our Jewish Essence: Emunah and Kedusha

The declaration that accompanies the mitzvah of bikkurim establishes the two foundations of Judaism: Emunah and kedusha. The declaration opens by mentioning their two opposing forces: “You shall call out and say before Hashem, your G-d, ‘An Aramean [sought to] destroy my forefather, and he went down to Egypt and sojourned there with a small number of people, and there, he became a great, mighty, and numerous nation…’” (Devarim 26:5). The Aramean refers to Lavan, who embodied the husk of כְּפִירָה/kefirah – ‘heresy,’ which is the opposite of emunah. He claimed that everything belonged to himself rather than to Hashem, saying, “The daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the animals are my animals, and all that you see is mine” (Bereishit 31:43). Therefore, we proclaim that Lavan is destroyed and lost as the word אֹבֵד/oved can be understood to not only refer to Lavan’s desire to destroy Israel but also to Lavan’s own destruction. Mentioning the Egyptian exile refers to the husk of unholiness, for Egypt is known as the nakedness of the land – the source of unholy lusts. In the bikkurim recital, we distance ourselves from the two worst husks: Lavan and Egypt – who are diametrically opposed to the two main foundations of the Torah, emunah and kedusha. Thus, through the mitzvah of bikkurim, we can maintain our spiritual level while being involved in working the physical land. Only in the Land of Israel does heaven and earth meet. This is alluded to in the first word of Parashat Ki Tavo is וְהָיָה /vehaya – ‘It shall be.’ The letters of this word are the initials of יִשְׂמְחוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְתָגֵל הָאָרֶץ(The heavens will rejoice, and the earth will exult). When a Jew elevates all the earthly, it arouses happiness above. This is the work of these days of teshuva, during the month of Elul, through which we Jews must elevate everything we have to Hashem. Thereby, we can establish, “When you enter the land…” – elevating the aspect of entering the land and the earthly to the source of holiness (Based on Netivot Shalom on Devarim pp.160-162).

EmunaHealing Exercise for Integrating Emunah and Kedusha Available in the Land of Israel

1. Close your eyes and settle down on the ground or relax in your chair. Take several deep breaths and center yourself. Allow all thoughts to pass through you, noticing them without judgment.

2. Tap into your ancestral memory or imagine you are wandering in the wilderness together with your fellow Jews. As Hashem takes care of you, leads you through His cloud of glory and pillar of fire, and feeds you the ethereal manna, allow yourself to feel how you are completely enveloped by the emunah that everything is from G-d. Enjoy this carefree feeling of letting go of all control to Hashem. All is G-d and G-d is all, you are part of this ‘allness’ – this oneness as you glide through the desert following Hashem’s lead.

3. Imagine receiving the manna from heaven and ingesting this spiritually nurturing nourishment. You are completely free of any earthly cravings as you enjoy your divine meal. Can you feel how kedusha enters you with every single bite? Revel in the holiness you experience within you, feeling light and illuminated.

4. Soon you will be leaving your safe and holy incubation, and entering an earthly place, where you will fight wars, till the earth, and be sustained by the fruits of your labor.

5. Get in touch with the challenge of remembering that everything is Hashem, even as we employ our own efforts to succeed. How can we maintain the clarity that it is Hashem and only Hashem Who gives us strength to make wealth and succeed in any of our endeavors? Feel the tension and the challenge to recognize that no matter how wise and clever we are to bring about successful abundance, these results are ONLY due to Hashem.

6. Allow yourself to experience the feeling of your earthly desires like when munching on juicy grapes or a crisp steak, or any other favorite food of yours. Imagine the feeling of wanting more and the challenge of eating slowly and chewing every bite.

7. Recall that through the power of the most uplifted holiness of the land of Israel, a Jew can elevate all earthly matters to Hashem. Envision yourself being in the holy land of Israel right now. Visualize the rolling hills, the intensity of the blueness of the sky, and the beauty of the fruits of the land. Breathe in all of this beauty through which the physical and the spiritual realms unite.

8. The physical land of Israel is imbued with holiness. In Israel every rock and pebble, every grain of sand every drop of dew is holy. Breathe into the notion that in the land of Israel, you can elevate the physical realm to be included in the spiritual.

9. Recite the first word of Parashat Ki Tavo is וְהָיָה /vehaya – “It shall be” softly, barely audibly. Repeat it as many times as you like, breathe into this word וְהָיָה /vehaya וְהָיָה /vehaya וְהָיָה /vehaya. This word is the initials of יִשְׂמְחוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְתָגֵל הָאָרֶץ/yismechu hashamayim vetagel ha’aretz (The heavens will rejoice, and the earth will exult). Tap into the unity between heaven and earth that can be experienced in the Land of Israel. Breathe into it and get in touch with your desire to truly live a life of holiness and faith in the Land of Israel. You may open your eyes when you are ready to return to your reality wherever you are right now.