The Pig and Esav, A Perek Shirah Perspective

by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine

Pork is anathema to the Jew. Even those who do not diligently observe Kosher will steer clear of products that come from a pig. What is it about the pig that creates such revulsion among our people?

The Medrash tells us that the pig symbolizes the hypocrite, a person who preaches lofty goals gives the impression that he practices them, but in reality he is corrupt and the righteous impression that he tries to portray is merely a facade. The pig has one of the two criteria that an animal must have to be kosher. The pig has split hooves, but it does not have the internal organs to chew its cud. Yet, although the pig is not kosher (because internally it does not meet the criteria) it is known to show off its split hooves as if to lure the naïve passerby into thinking that it is kosher. So does the hypocrite show off some good qualities in the hope that people will be tricked by that which they see, and overlook the corruption that lies beneath the surface.

The Medrash tells us that Esav, the brother of Yakov, personified this quality of the pig. He spent his days and nights in immoral conduct, yet he would come to his father, Yitzchak, with detailed questions of Jewish law thus giving the impression that he was righteous. Likewise, Esav regularly stole and assaulted women, yet when he reached the age of 40 he said, “Now I must marry just as my righteous father, Yitzchak, married at the age of 40.” Thus with some good questions and marriage at the age of 40 he tried to cover over all the other behaviors which he hoped would not be noticed.

Noteworthy is that when Esav saw the lentil soup, he called it “the red stuff,” and the name “red” or in Hebrew, “Edom”, stuck and became the way he was known as a nation. Esav did not see the soup as food with nutritional value. He saw it as colorful- as “red stuff”- purely an external definition, because the externals were all that mattered to him.

No wonder we feel revulsion to the pig, well beyond our feelings to other non-kosher animals. The pig symbolizes Esav, the hypocrite. It represents a facade of kosher and goodness which is not really present on any authentic level.

Interestingly, there are times that a person is on a journey of self-improvement and they find that they are not entirely the high level person that they would like to be. This could be true in character and conduct where a person chooses an area for improvement but finds that they sometimes still fail even after they resolved to succeed. A person may decide to be neater, calmer, or kinder, and find that they only succeed some of the time. Likewise a person may decide to improve in spirituality and religious observance and find that they are not instantly transported to the level of saintliness. A person who did not until now observe kosher diligently, for example, may find that even after their resolve to do so there still are lapses. These lapses may well be cause for concern and should be addressed, but they are not in any way related to the hypocrisy that we find so troubling.

The difference is simple. A person trying to become better is sincerely trying to become better, but good things are not achieved instantaneously. One does not become a scholar, a skilled artisan, or a talented musician in one day. The fact that a person is not yet perfect does not minimize the fact that one is to be respected and praised for having started the journey. As one great Jew explained, “The train going to Florida is called the Florida train, even though you have just barely started out on the journey. That’s because the train is called by the name of its destination.”

A hypocrite, in contrast, is quite happy with the corruption that is their lot, but they wish to paint a facade of righteousness so that people shouldn’t know.

As Jews we thrive on growth and stretch goals, aspirations that seem to be just out of our reach. We have high standards of expectation, but we are aware that at times people fail. To fail at a stretch goal, and then to rise and try again, is to experience greatness. Delve deeply into yourself and the system you are in and consider, “Through this system, where am I headed?” A step forward is greatness, so long as it is taken with sincerity.

© 2015 by TEACH613™