Checking Food for Insects - Rabbi Binyomin Cohen shlita

00:09 Today we’ll learn the laws of forbidden foods, specifically the prohibition against eating worms, insects, and the like. When the Torah discusses what may and may not be eaten—in Parshas Shemini in Vayikra and Parshas Re’eh in Devarim—it lists the animals by name, telling us which are permitted and which are forbidden. The Torah lists whichever group is smaller. In other words, if there are more kosher animals, it lists the nonkosher ones that may not be eaten; and if there are more nonkosher animals, it lists the kosher ones that may be eaten. Among wild animals, we find the list: the ayal, tzvi, yachmur, akko, dishon, teo, and zemer. These are the kosher wild animals; the nonkosher ones are more numerous, so the Torah lists the kosher ones. With birds, it’s the other way around. There are fewer nonkosher birds, so the Torah lists the ones not to eat: the nesher, the peres, the ozniyah, the da’ah, the ayah and its kinds, the chasidah, and so on. In other words, since the Torah is concise and does not go on at length where it can be brief, it gives us the shorter list. If the shorter list is what may be eaten, it tells us what may be eaten, and from that we understand that everything else is forbidden. If the list of forbidden things is longer, the Torah lists what is permitted; and if it’s the other way around, it does the reverse. But when we come to the prohibition against creeping creatures, insects, and worms, we find verses that seem, at first glance, to repeat themselves. The first verse says, “Every creeping thing that creeps on the earth is detestable; it shall not be eaten.” Then a second verse says, “Anything that goes on its belly, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” A third verse says, “Do not make yourselves detestable through any creeping thing that creeps.” And a fourth verse says, “Do not defile yourselves through any creeping thing

02:54 that crawls on the earth.” What are these verses teaching us, when they seem to repeat themselves? But when we look closely, we see that each verse speaks about something distinct. “Every creeping thing that creeps on the earth is detestable; it shall not be eaten” is the general prohibition against eating creeping creatures, from the largest to the smallest, such as worms. That is what this verse states in general terms. Then the second verse, “Anything that goes on its belly, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth”—our Sages say that here the Torah is teaching us about the prohibition involving worms that develop inside fruits and vegetables. There are worms that develop inside fruits and vegetables, and this second verse speaks about those that did not grow on the ground but developed and grew inside the fruit. Then comes the third verse: “Do not make yourselves detestable through any creeping thing that creeps.” It does not say “that creeps on the earth,” just “any creeping thing that creeps.” From this we learn about aquatic creatures, about worms found in water. That is why it does not say “that creeps on the earth,” but simply “any creeping thing that creeps,” without “on the earth.” Of course, we learn other things from this verse as well. From “Do not make yourselves detestable,” we learn that a person should not drink from repulsive vessels. For example, a vessel used for bloodletting—one should not drink from it, because it is repulsive. Or if a person needs to go to the bathroom, he should not hold it in. That, too, is learned from “Do not make yourselves detestable.” But the first point is that “any creeping thing that creeps” refers to aquatic creatures; it does not say “that creeps on the earth.” Then we have a fourth verse: “Do not defile yourselves through any creeping thing that crawls on the earth.” Here it does not

05:25 say “creeps,” but “crawls.” What does that mean? When we say “creeps,” it is like the verse, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth,” and “teem upon the earth and multiply in it.” It refers to creatures produced by a male and a female. Here it says, “any creeping thing that crawls.” It crawls on the earth; it does not say it “creeps.” That is, it was not necessarily produced by a male and a female. Rather, this refers to worms and insects that develop as something dries out. When a fruit or vegetable begins to rot, worms develop inside it. They are not creatures that “creep” in that sense: they were not produced by a male and a female. But they are called creeping things that “crawl on the earth.” They crawl on the earth even though they were not produced through reproduction. Our Sages say in the Gemara that sometimes, if a person eats a particular creature, he can violate four or five prohibitions. The Gemara says that one who eats a putisa receives four sets of lashes; for an ant, five; for a hornet, six; and so on. In other words, if it is a creature that only crawls on the earth, that is one prohibition. If it also has wings, it falls under another prohibition. If it also lives in water, it is also an aquatic creature. So a single insect or worm can involve several prohibitions. This is something we need to pay attention to. A person knows about the things everyone knows are forbidden: you may not eat nonkosher meat; you may not eat pork. So he won’t eat them, because he knows they are forbidden. But with insects, he could, G-d forbid, violate several prohibitions without even realizing that he has done anything wrong or improper.

07:36 The Torah does not say why these creeping creatures or worms may not be eaten. But we know, first of all, that since the Torah says not to eat them, they are not good for us. It is like someone who goes to a doctor, and the doctor tells him, “You have high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Don’t eat fried foods; don’t eat fatty foods.” He listens to the doctor. Why? Because he says, “This doctor knows the state of my health and is giving me instructions on how to look after my body and my health.” In the same way, the Torah tells us not to eat these things, and we do not ask questions. We know that the Torah has forbidden them, and if it has forbidden them, it is for our benefit: they are not healthy for us; they are not good for us. Nevertheless, the Sages always tried to find explanations. For example, there is the prohibition against eating predatory animals. What a person eats becomes his own flesh and blood, and the traits of the animals he eats enter his body as they become part of him. So if a person eats a predatory animal, its traits and cruelty can enter and permeate his body, and that is why the Torah forbade it. We find less explanation for the prohibition against worms. Still, as we have seen, there are four verses in which the Torah returns to this subject, each addressing a different situation involving worms or insects that we need to be careful about. And although these really seem like small things, things a person can barely see, they are still insects, larvae, worms, or whatever they may be.

09:44 The Torah says we may not eat them. When a person sifts flour, the clean flour passes through the sieve, of course, but various things that did not pass through remain in it. Insects often get stuck to the sieve—small worms that were in the flour. When we sifted it, the flour passed through the holes, while those worms and insects remained stuck to the sieve. So before using the sieve again, it needs to be cleaned and washed thoroughly. Check whether there are any worms, clumps, or suspicious things in it, and remove them. In other words, remove any flour residue left in the sieve after sifting. Better still, if possible, after washing it, hold it up to the sunlight so that anything there can be seen more clearly, and, G-d forbid, the sieve will not be used for the next sifting before it is clean. Of course, if a person finds worms while sifting flour, they must be sifted out. If there are more worms than one would normally expect, it is no longer worth using that flour at all, because it is apparently infested, and one must be careful not to use it. The purpose of sifting is to remove what we can—what we can see—if we find a few individual worms or insects. The same applies when we want to check legumes, whether rice, chickpeas, or the like. First, spread them out on a surface, a sheet of paper or something similar, and look. If anything appears infested, remove it. Then put what looks fine and uninfested into a container of water. The water causes any worm or insect to float to the surface, where we can see

12:14 it. When we come back after a few hours, the rice or legumes we put in will have sunk to the bottom of the container or pot of water. Any insects or dirt will be floating on top, so we can identify and remove them. Before starting to cook, as we said, the food must be cleaned. If it is something that needs sifting, sift it. If it is rice or legumes, put them on a sheet of paper or spread them out on a table, identify any affected pieces, and remove them. Even if we do not actually see a worm, if we see a rough or eaten-away area, or a spot that is black or a different color from the other pieces, there is also reason to suspect that it is infested, and we must remove it and not use it. But if everything looks fine and hardly anything floats up in the water, that is a sign that the food is clean and does not need further sorting. Suppose someone checked several bags of legumes or rice. He used half a bag, and he has another two or three bags left, which he puts in the freezer. Since they were frozen the whole time, worms could not develop in that food. If he takes it out after a while, he does not need to check it again, because he knows that he kept it frozen and its condition has not changed since he put it in. But if it was frozen for part of the time and unfrozen for part of the time, that is more of a problem. Something may have developed in it while it was not frozen. As for what remained frozen, we have nothing

14:20 to worry about, because freezing prevents insects and other pests from getting into the food. And, of course, this prohibition against eating worms and insects is very important, especially since people generally tend not to pay it much attention. A person says, “I didn’t eat some forbidden food. All I ate was something that perhaps had a worm in it. Perhaps there was an insect.” But the Torah treats them alike. It makes no difference whether you eat a worm or a kezayis of meat from a non-kosher animal. The prohibition is the same. So we must be very careful about this and about how we check vegetables and everything else, to make sure that, G-d forbid, we do not violate the prohibition against eating creeping creatures or worms, or anything related to it. If someone cooks a dish, soup or the like, and afterward finds insects, ants, or other pests in it, he must, of course, check it again and strain the liquid again. If it is clear that they came from outside, that is easier to deal with. Sometimes you can see that they are not insects from the vegetables, but, say, flying insects that were in the kitchen and fell into the pot, or ants or other pests that are clearly external. Of course, you need to clean it and check. If there are three, though, it is more of a problem: the food is considered infested, and those insects must be removed. If we repeat the cleaning three times and find nothing, we can use that dish or food. But if we see that there are still worms, that means it is infested, and we must not use or eat it. Of course, it can be given to animals, but

16:56 people cannot eat it, since it has been established as infested. Finding insects in it three times means it is infested and should not be used. As for why the Torah forbade all these things, fundamentally it is a decree of Scripture. That is what the Torah established; it did not give us an explanation of why one thing is permitted and another is not. But our Sages nevertheless offered various explanations, because when a person understands what he is doing, he is more eager to do it. When a person acts only out of kabbolas ol, without understanding what he is doing, he will try to get out of the task at the first opportunity. But when he knows and understands something, that very understanding gives him the desire to keep doing it. There is a story about a man who worked very hard. His job was to harvest grain—to cut wheat and barley. He earned a small sum, say five rubles a day. One day he decided the work was too hard for him. He came to his rabbi and said, “Rabbi, why do I have to work like a donkey? Why do I have to work so hard? I want a different job—easier work, less effort, more money. Then I’ll have quality time with my wife and children.” The rabbi told him, “No problem, I’ll find you an easier job. What is your job? What do you do?” He said, “I harvest wheat in the field. From morning to evening I cut it, tie it into sheaves, load them onto a wagon, and send them to the city. That’s how I earn a living.” The rabbi told him, “Listen, come to my house. I’ll give you an easier job,

19:12 Less time, twice the money. “You work eight hours and get four rubles, five rubles. Come to me, work four hours, and I’ll pay you twice as much.” Well, he was happy. He went home and told his wife, “Starting tomorrow, I have a new job. I’m going to the rabbi’s house. I’ll work there half a day, and the other half I’ll come home and help you, and the pay is double.” His wife was happy too. The next day, he arrived at the rabbi’s house with his tools, with his sickle, with what he was supposed to use to harvest the grain, the wheat. He said to the rabbi, “Well, Rabbi, where’s the field? Show me where it is so I can start working.” The rabbi took him into a room and said, “See this room? Swing your sickle through the air. Pretend you’re harvesting.” He said, “What do you mean, pretend I’m harvesting? There’s nothing here. There’s just air.” The rabbi said, “What do you care? I’m paying you. Work here; harvest the air.” As Rabbi Yehuda Halevi says in his Purim piyyut, “Mi Chamocha”: “They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.” There was nothing there. He was working in the air, but what did he care? He was getting paid more for it. So for half an hour, an hour, he swung his sickle and supposedly harvested, harvested, harvested. After two hours he decided he couldn’t take it anymore. But what could he tell the rabbi now—that he couldn’t do it? Well, he dragged the day out to the end. Somehow he made it through those four hours. At the end of the day, the rabbi said to him, “Well, did you enjoy it? Come back tomorrow too.” He said, “Rabbi, to tell you the truth, I didn’t enjoy it.” “Why not? In the field you work eight hours, the sun beats down on your head, and you get tired. Here you work in a room, no one bothers you, and you have food and drink. What’s the problem?” He said, “I really

21:20 don’t know, but I feel like this job is too much for me.” The rabbi said, “Never mind. Maybe it’s just because it’s new. Give it a try. Come back tomorrow and we’ll see how it goes.” He got home at noon instead of eight in the evening. “Well, my dear wife, do you need me to help feed the children, prepare food?” She was happy too. Her husband had come home early. Less strain, less work, and twice the money. She asked him, “So what did you do today? What kind of field does the rabbi have?” “You won’t believe it—he doesn’t have a field at all.” “Then why did you take your sickle and all your tools?” He said, “I went into a room, and the rabbi told me to swing my sickle through the air, to act as though I was harvesting.” “Really? And what does the rabbi get out of this work?” He said, “Believe me, I don’t know. I asked him too. He told me, ‘What do you care? I’m paying you.’” She said, “Okay, so what do you care? Keep working.” And so the next day he went back to the rabbi’s house. The rabbi showed him into the room. “Harvest. Keep doing what you did yesterday.” The thing was, this work never ended. In a field, at some point the harvest is finished. Here, you harvest the air every night, and it will never, ever be finished. After a week he came to the rabbi and said, “Rabbi, that’s it. I don’t want this job.” “Why not? You’re earning good money here.” “No, no. I want to go back to my old job.” “Okay. You want to go back to your old job. That’s perfectly fine.” But the man asked the rabbi, “Explain to me what my problem was. Why couldn’t I keep working? What was the problem? The work is easier, the pay is higher, the wages are better. Why couldn’t I do it? Why did I have to stop and come—why couldn’t I do it?”

23:14 So the rabbi told him, “It’s very simple. When you harvested in the field, you worked hard, true, but you felt there was a purpose to what you were doing. You harvested a little more and a little more, and loaded the grain onto the wagon. You felt you were accomplishing something. Here you didn’t feel you were accomplishing anything. You were harvesting air, so you felt no satisfaction.” In other words, a person needs to feel that he is doing something. When a person feels that he is accomplishing something, he also has satisfaction and enjoyment. And that is why the Torah repeated these verses: these are things for which the Torah did not give a reason, so they are harder for us to accept. But when a person knows he is doing it because it is Hashem’s will, he feels joy in fulfilling the will of the blessed Creator.