FISH

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well.

Mazal Tov to Alisa and Juan on their upcoming Anniversary. Wishing you many happy and healthy years together.

In Tanya we are currently learning the section 'Holy Letters' where the Alte Rebbe discusses Tzedakah (Charity) at length and from all different angles.

In Letter no. 3 he discusses Tzedakah as an 'armoured coat of mail (scales)', and this very much links up with the scales and fins of the kosher fish in this week's Sedra Reeh, and the yohrtzeit of the Rebbe's father Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson which was this week.

Tanya

'And he garbed himself with tzedakah as a coat of mail and a helmet of salvation upon his head.' -Isaiah 59:17.

On this verse our Sages commented that just as with chain mail, each scale adds up to form a large mail, so it is with charity, each coin adds up to a large amount.

This means that just as the mail is made up of scales over gaps, and these shield against any arrow entering through the gaps, so it is with the act of charity.

Charity is greater than all the Commandments (equal to all the rest together) - Bava Batra 9a

Sedra (14:9)

'Of these that live in the water you may eat: All (FISH) that have fins and scales you may eat.'

Rav Levi Yitzchak

For a period of 30 years, from 1909 to 1939 the city of Dnetropetrovsk, merited to have one of the most fearless and unabashed leaders of Judaism as their Chief Rabbi. For these activities Rabbi Levi Yitzchak was arrested in 1939 and exiled to Asia where he died on 20th Av 1944 in Alma Ata.

In one of his Teachings on this subject of fins and scales (Likkutei Levi Yitzchak p398-399) he asks basically 2 questions:

• Why is it that if a fish has scales, it means it will also have fins, and therefore be kosher, but not the other way round? Ie a fish which has fins, will not necessarily have scales.
• Why are fins, which are the secondary kosher sign, mentioned before scales, which are the primary sign, in the above verse?

To answer in a very summarized form:

A Jews connection to Hashem is actualized in 2 ways:

• Studying Hashem's TORAH - Represented by the FINS OF THE FISH ('If you walk in My Statutes..Vayikra 26:3 - In the same way the fins propel the fish
• Observing His MITZVOT - Represented by the SCALES OF THE FISH - As per scales of armour and Tzedakah mentioned above from Tanya. Tzedakah is the main representative of Mitzvot

The Talmud debates extensively which is greater, Torah study or Mitzvos and concludes that Torah is greater because it leads to the performance of the Mitzvos. (Kiddushin 40b) That is represented by fins being mentioned before the scales

Yet scales alone are enough to establish the kashrut of fish? Represented by a Jew who practices Mitzvot, presupposes that he has at least some Torah knowledge.

But a fish which has only fins is not kosher. Represented by someone who only learns Torah and does not do Mitzvot, he does not even have the reward of the learning (Yevamos 109b)

Gut Shabbos to all and may our giving of charity protect us from all difficulties!