Techelit

Can Non-Kosher Animals be used Kosherly?
By Rabbi Yehudah ben Shomeyr

I recently had a most thought provoking question by an online friend of mine that I have thought about briefly, but I honestly never really considered and Im a Rabbi! Now my answer will be strictly held to the Scriptures for Im sure there is some Talmudic technicalities and such pertaining to this subject.

So can Jews were pearl necklaces that come from the unclean oyster? Well can the Gates to the New Jerusalem be made of pearl (Rev. 21:21)? Interestingly enough the techelit (blue dye) we wear on our tzitzit comes from a recently rediscovered sea snail, and might I remind you that Eliyahu the Navi (Prophet) of G-d was feed my unclean ravens (I Kings 17:4)? The Patriarchs and other Biblical persons road camels, donkeys and horses all unclean animals and to ride them require touching.

I will say that a Jewish Tradition concerning the World to Come, that we will be permitted to eat what was considered unclean in this current world.

So, can we use violin bows that use horse hair? I dont know ask the Jewish violinist Yitzhak Pearlman. Is there such a thing as kosher glue? Can we touch pigskin footballs or use boar hair brushes, etc.? To my understanding we may not touch a carcass of a dead animal, (Lev. 17:15-16, Lev.5:2, Lev. 11:8), but again this is dealing with the consumption of such meat. I see no prohibition of slaughtering an unclean animal to use for practical or esthetic purposes.

The Tabernacle had badger skin, some translations say dolphin/porpoise covering it and either animal is not fit to eat, but it is okay to use the animals skins as long as you kill and it does not die of itself. Touching an animal, whether clean or unclean that dies of itself renders a person unclean and an abomination. This is why it is okay to use the snail die for Techelit, although I feel the plant dye is a better option, regardless of what the Talmud says. The only issue against the plant dies brought up in the Talmud is the fact it tends to fade faster that the snail dye. And they were worried that if people say the tzitzit fading it would cause them to think the Glory of G-d can fader too. But in reality one would be replacing their tzitzit faster than they can fade.

Granted a Kohen (Priest) and one who has taken a Nazarite vow is held to a higher standard and is prohibited from touching any unclean animal or things (Lev.22, Num. 6).

Let us remember the state of uncleaness is not a sin. Yeshua Messiah was unclean much of the time by the places he went (sick peoples house, grave yards where demon possessed people lived, etc.) and the people he was around. Its an unavoidable fact of life, with the wars and Native peoples who lived in our lands, how do we know if the ground we walk on contains a dead body?

The state of uncleaness is mostly in regards not being allowed to coming to the Temple, Tabernacle, or handling Holy Objects and in our day is solved by a simple Mikvah (Baptism) and will be unclean until evening.

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