In the wilderness non sacrificial meat was forbidden to Israel unless it was sanctified and brought as a Shelamim offering. (Sifre 12:38). Immediately after capturing the land from the seven nations and apportioning it amongst the tribes - the verse in our parasha (12:20) indicates that secular meat was now to be permitted. "when God expands your borders...you may eat non consecrated meat." 

Evidently this new reality of the tribes all settled into their rightful apportionment of the land created a permanent allowance for Israel to eat secular meat. In order to understand these ideas properly we must study the spiritual accomplishments or pitfalls in consuming meat.

Furthermore we need to investigate why secular meat had been restricted and what requirements have been suggested by our Sages as to when and by whom it should be consumed. 

Spiritual Accomplishments

R. Yosef Hayyim in his Sefer Ben Ish Hai cites the words of R. HaAri who details the spiritual accomplishments of one who eats Kosher meat with the correct meditations. Within the kosher animal there exists two forms of spiritual aspects. The first consists of Holy sparks which had descended into the animals from before creation or as a result of the sin of Adam.

The second consists of lower souls related to the animal kingdom or of higher souls of former humans who had in a previous sojourn on earth acted wickedly and have transmigrated into the animals. The Ari teaches (SM - Ekev) that Adam thru his prayer in Gan Eden was able to rectify and elevate the sparks and the souls related to this kingdom. The verse expresses this in terms of his ability to assign each one a name. ויקרא אדם שמות לכל בהמה וחיה - He was able to extract the nefashot of these beings and to remove from them any semblance of husk that had attached to them.

However, there did remain a small amount of animal souls that remained - waiting to be corrected by the righteous in the future via consumption. Subsequent to the sin of Adam - these sparks and souls that had been elevated had once again descended amongst the husks. Until the era of Noah there did not exist in man the power to release these sparks and souls via consumption. This was also true during the years of Israel in the Midbar. Hence it remained legally forbidden during these eras to consume unconsecrated meat. 

Work Reserved for the Scholar or the Shabbat

R. Yosef Hayim (BIH 1 - BEHAR) writes that there are two general stages in elevating the spiritual during the consumption of meat. The first stage is to reduce the more dense food material via ones 32 teeth into a finer physical form. These are related to the 32 paths of wisdom that always begins the selection process. The food then descends into the stomach; from there it continues to become part of the blood of the consumer. All unnecessary aspects of the meat leave the body.

The second general stage is to elevate the meat from its finer physical form (blood) up to its spiritual essence. This he writes can only be accomplished through the learning of Torah on the table. One must learn Torah to complete the selection process. Even though it can occur thru eating - this is only in its external aspect - one must also learn to complete the selection process - therefore our rabbis have warned us to learn Torah on the table.

This is why Ribbi in the Talmud (Pesahim 49) forbids an ignoramus from consuming unconsecrated meat. "Ribbi said that it is forbidden for an עם הארץ -  to eat meat for it is stated "This is the Torah law of the animal and the bird". Lev 11:46. Whoever is occupied with the study of Torah is allowed to eat meat of an animal or bird - but whoever is not occupied with the study of Torah is forbidden to eat the meat of an animal or bird." R. HaAri offers another reason an ignoramus might not want to consume meat during the week.

This being that when consuming the meat without Torah protection his soul might become intertwined with that of the animal - causing a decrease in his ability to retain holiness. These facts remain true on weekdays. This is not so on Shabbat - when even an ignorant one is permitted to eat meat - since at that time there is an elevation of worlds - and there is no fear of attachment of husks in his consumption - rather only the possibility of Tikun.  

Summary - Conditions to Rectify

The Talmud (Berakhot 55) teaches that one's table at home is considered as the מזבח - altar. This is a code to inform us that our meals at our table must conform to certain rules to effectuate an elevation of sparks and souls of the meat we are consuming.

As we noted earlier - the conditions include speaking words of Torah at the table - while the Ben Ish Hai suggested that one recite the section of the Zohar found in siddourim פתח אליהו - someone more scholarly might focus on the meditations found in the writings of the Ari and Rashash. Finally even an ignoramus can effectuate Tikun if he waits to consume the meat on the Shabbat.

If we do not follow the prescribed conditions a great injustice might take place. According to the directive ואהבת לרעך כמוך - the obligation to elevate the soul that descended into the animal is surely included in it. We are enjoined that when eating a meal that we include words of Torah - this will insure that the soul imbedded in the meat we consume will thereby exit and elevate to the level of man.

It will then be given an opportunity to once again exist in the form of a human - to properly rectify its own soul. We learned from the words of parasha that the possibility of Tikun even for a scholar was only initiated upon Israel settling in the land. This was to wait for the trigger below that the preparation of the land above called ארץ החיים - has been complete.

The elevation of these sparks and souls can only be attempted when that spiritual reality existed. This reality is a reflection that the Shehina is also residing in that land above. In this spiritual state the Shehina can assist in the elevation of the sparks and souls effectively. Evidently - though the tribes are no longer situated each in its own ancestral property - the channels above might have been permanently opened by the Shehina residing at that time in the ארץ החיים - above.

This would have created the reality for all future generations - regardless of the Shehina's current state. We do see however discussions in the Talmud to limit unconsecrated meat after the destruction of the second temple - but apparently it was not accepted as law. We have only been limited via custom to eat meat during the 9 days of Av as the Shehina at that time is in a permanent state of exile. Hence we refrain from meat consumption to reflect the spiritual limitations at that time to effectuate any Tikun. 

Victor Bibi