“And you will say: I will eat meat, because your heart will desire to eat meat; with all your heart’s desire, you may eat meat” – this is what the verse said: “Who performs justice for the oppressed, gives bread to the hungry; the Lord releases the imprisoned” (Psalms 146:7) – it is speaking of Israel. Rabbi Pinḥas bar Ḥama said: It teaches that there were more than seventy nations in Egypt, and of all of them, they enslaved only Israel.
Who executed justice on their behalf? He “who performs justice for the oppressed.” “Gives bread to the hungry” – this is Israel. From where is this derived?
As it is stated: “He afflicted you, and starved you, and fed you the manna that you did not know and your fathers did not know, in order to impart to you that man does not live by bread alone; rather, it is by everything that emanates from the mouth of the Lord that man lives. Your garment did not grow worn from upon you and your foot did not swell these forty years. And you shall know in your heart, that, as a man chastises his son, so the Lord your God chastises you” (Deuteronomy 8:3–5).
“The Lord releases the imprisoned [matir asurim]” – these are Israel. How so? The Rabbis said: The Holy One blessed be He prohibited eight matters for them and permitted eight of them. The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I prohibited fats for you…until cloaks with ritual fringes.’19The full version of this passage is found in Vayikra Rabba (22:10): “I prohibited for you menstrual blood; I permitted for you hymenal blood.
I prohibited for you a married woman; I permitted for you a captive woman. The brother’s wife [is forbidden], I permitted for you a levirate wife. A woman and her sister, [which is forbidden] during their lifetimes, I permitted for you after death. Wearing diverse kinds [is forbidden], I permitted for you a linen garment with ritual fringes.
The flesh of a pig, I permitted for you a fish called shibuta. Animal fat [ḥelev], I permitted for you animal fat [shuman].” That is, “the Lord releases the imprisoned [matir asurim].”20This is expounded in the sense of “permits [matir] prohibitions [isurim].” So, too, elsewhere He prohibited meat of desire [taava]21He prohibited slaughtering and eating an animal without bringing it as an offering. and here, he permitted it for them.
From where is it derived? “Only, with all of your heart’s desire [avat], you may slaughter and eat meat” (Deuteronomy 12:15).