Moshe Merel, Manager of Leeds Jewish Orthodox Youth (LJOY), shares a dvar Torah (learning) inspired by an unexpected source – his escaped turtles.
Although my balding head says otherwise, I recently celebrated my 25th birthday. Wanting a Lamborghini for the occasion, it was something to look forward to (I’m already in an unarranged overdraft, so another few hundred grand wouldn’t have made much of a difference!).
Turns out, my wife felt otherwise. She surprised me with four cute turtles – two of which have already escaped, sending half of Alwoodley into a panic and triggering an unsuccessful search and rescue mission.
Knowing that the Torah is all-encompassing, I had a look at Leviticus chapter 11, which talks about animals. Interestingly, while Modern Hebrew calls a turtle a tzav, the Torah’s use of the word tzav most likely refers to a toad. A turtle is not specifically mentioned but is probably included among the creatures that “teem upon the earth,” like lizards, toads, and rodents. This portion of the Torah is fascinating, and I’d like to point out two things that stood out to me.
The Torah portion discusses kosher and non-kosher animals
Just as someone who is constantly exposed to loud music and harsh noise slowly and imperceptibly – but surely – loses the ability to hear fine sounds and detect subtle modulations, so too does the Torah inform us that a Jew’s consumption of non-kosher food deadens their spiritual capacities. It denies them the full opportunity to reach their potential and renders them incapable of even perceiving what they’ve lost.
Divine intelligence knows what obstructs the soul’s spiritual and emotional functioning and what harms the Jewish heart.
The Torah lists all animals with split hooves that chew the cud
The Torah, given to us 3,337 years ago, confidently lists animals that both chew the cud and have split hooves. For example, a hyrax, hare, and rabbit have recently been confirmed to “chew the cud” to a degree (though not as thoroughly as cows and similar animals). A camel also chews the cud, but it doesn’t have split hooves – it has split feet with hoof-like nails.
Now, keep in mind: 3,337 years ago, most of the world had not yet been discovered. Columbus only “found” America just 533 years ago. So, how on earth did the Torah confidently state which animals do and don’t chew the cud and have split hooves? Couldn’t there have been undiscovered species that would contradict this list?
Yet even today, while science says that there is potentially still so much of the universe left to uncover, the Torah remains unwavering in its declarations. This reveals, with remarkable clarity, the divine knowledge embedded in the Torah. Only the One who created the world could know the entire animal kingdom. The Torah is God-given and stands strong in its truth – even in our era of modern science.
Interestingly, a friend of mine recently showed me a picture he took in a bar by London Bridge. On the wall was a large Hebrew inscription of God’s name. He asked if it was an old shul. We looked into it – turns out it’s an 800-year-old church which still carries that Hebrew inscription to this day.
It all boils down to one address: the Torah. In a fast-paced world where we seek answers to everything – from mental health to morality – where do we turn? Unfortunately, to ChatGPT or some other mind-numbing invention (guilty as charged). But the Torah includes everything we want to know. The world is complicated, but we have a manual.
Reading the Torah is one of the best things you can do. You might find the answers you’re looking for – or at the very least, some wisdom that TikTok definitely won’t provide.
So, once a week, go for it. Sit down and read the portion of the week. And if you don’t have one, ask your shul – or luckily, I’ve got plenty to spare!
