One of the expressions in the rich and descriptive language of Yiddish is “Chazer Treif”. It describes something which is absolutely and completely non-kosher. The use of this description goes well beyond the kitchen and can be used to describe people, ideologies or anything completely beyond the pale.
But why does the Chazir (pig) earn this unique distinction above all other non-kosher animals?
The Torah, in Parshas Shemini identifies the two signs of a Kosher animal; מעלה גרה - it must chew its cud and מפרסת פרסה - have split hooves. It then identifies four animals that possess only one of these two signs.
One Pasuk lists the Gamal, Arneves and Shafan (camel, hare and hyrax), which chew their cud but to not have split hooves. The Chazir, which has split hooves but does not chew its cud, is listed separately in the next verse.
Clearly the Chazir is being separated from the other three animals. But is this because it is better than them or because it is worse?
The status of the Chazir is a paradox. On one hand it is “Chazer-treif”, the “most unkosher” of these animals. Yet, we find in Jewish tradition, that in the times of Moshiach, of all of the non-Kosher animals, only the Chazir will ‘return’ to become kosher.
In a similar observation, the Tzemach Tzedek - the third Rebbe of Chabad, points out a contradiction.
In Kabbalah, the four animals that have one of the two signs of Kashrus, represent the four Kelipos - the forces of negativity that conceal G-dliness. The first three allude to the three absolutely impure Kelipos that cannot be redeemed. These are the source of everything that is forbidden and are represented by the Arneves, Shafan and Gamal.
The fourth Kelipah is Kelipas Nogah, literally a Kelipah that is light. Unlike the three absolutely impure Kelipos, Kelipas Nogah can be refined and elevated. Kelipas Nogah is the life-force of the ‘neutral’ mundane things in our world that are neither expressly holy or forbidden, that if used in the service of Hashem, can be elevated. Kelipas Nogah is represented by the Chazir. This suggests that the Chazir is not as “low” as the others.
At the same time, the Midrash teaches that these four animals represent the four Exiles of the Jewish people. The Gamal, Shafan and Arneves which chew their cud but do not have split hooves, represent the Exiles of Bavel, Madai and Yavan. The Chazir represents Golus Edom, the Romans who destroyed the second Beis Hamikdash. It is recorded separately from the other animals because the Roman Exile, the exile that we are still enduring, is much longer than the others and is equal to all of them.
So is the Chazir better or worse?
One possible explanation is that because Kelipas Nogah is not as impure, we are deceived into thinking “its not so bad” and that there is nothing wrong. It then becomes the entryway that leads us astray into the depths of impurity. This is like the Chazir that outwardly projects its split hooves to deceive us that it is innocuous and benign.
Perhaps in this discussion lies a message for our Australian Jewish community as we head to the upcoming federal election.
Like the hyrax, hare and camel, there are parties like the Greens, who outwardly display their evil. They openly declare their alliance and support of terrorist movements, labelling Israel as an apartheid state that is committing genocide. They orchestrate and attend anti-Israel demonstrations and they fuel antisemitism domestically with their rhetoric.
But then there are parties like the Labour party, who try to pass themselves off as “Kosher”. They show us their “split hoof”, putting forward Jewish candidates and pledging millions of dollars to Jewish institutions. They pay lip service in calling out terror and domestic antisemitism and call themselves friends of Israel.
But like the Chazir, their insides, their core values and beliefs, are morally bankrupt and Treif.
They have failed our community on tackling antisemitism and have allowed it to fester and spread. They have voted against Israel and sided with the Palestinian narrative in the UN and they have attacked Israel’s just actions to defend themselves as they face an existential war. They have said that they would arrest the democratically elected Prime Minister of Israel for War Crimes should he enter Australia and wish to reward terror with the gift of a Palestinian state.
Like the hyrax, hare and camel, the Greens may technically be more “impure”. But at least their danger is visible and strong warnings of caution are not needed. But for the parties who hide their danger and try to lull us into a false sense of friendship, we need a special warning label - “Chazer-Treif”!