It’s a fascinating idea, and one that Vayikra Rabbah (Leviticus Rabbah), specifically section 22, explores in a surprisingly beautiful way.
The passage begins by quoting (Psalm 146:7), "He performs justice for the exploited," connecting it directly to the people of Israel, who, as (Jeremiah 50:33) tells us, are themselves exploited. Then, it moves to "He gives bread to the hungry," linking it to (Deuteronomy 8:3): “He afflicted you and He starved you.” It seems a bit bleak. But hold on.
The real magic happens with the phrase, "The Lord releases [matir] the imprisoned [asurim]." The text plays on the similarity of these words, saying: what I prohibited [she’asarti] for you, I permitted [hitarti] for you. This is where things get interesting.
Think of it this way: God sets boundaries, but within those boundaries, there's a whole world of possibility. The rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) use this idea to explore the intricacies of Jewish law. For example, the fat of domesticated animals (ḥelev) is forbidden, but the fat of undomesticated animals (shuman) is permitted. Similarly, we can't eat birds that weren't ritually slaughtered, but fish are fine!
Rabbi Abba and Rabbi Yonatan, in the name of Rabbi Levi, even suggest that God has permitted more than He has prohibited! They bring up examples like menstrual blood (forbidden) versus hymenal blood (permitted), a married woman (forbidden to anyone but her husband) versus a captive woman taken in war (permitted under specific circumstances, as detailed in (Deuteronomy 21:10)–14), and a sister-in-law (generally forbidden) versus a levirate wife (permitted if her husband dies childless, allowing his brother to marry her and continue the family line). It’s a complex area of law, but the core idea is that within the restrictions, there are pathways and allowances, designed to address real human needs.
The list goes on: you can’t marry a woman and her sister at the same time, but after one dies, the other is fair game. You can’t wear mixed fabrics of wool and linen (shatnez), but if you wear a four-cornered linen garment, you must attach ritual fringes (tzitzit), which are traditionally made of wool! It’s like a divine wink, acknowledging the complexity and allowing for connection even within the rules.
Even the prohibition of pork gets a nod: apparently, there's a fish called shibuta that tastes just like it! And forbidden animal fat? Well, there's permitted animal fat too.
But here’s where it gets truly wondrous. Rabbi Menachama, Rabbi Bevai, Rabbi Aḥa, and Rabbi Yoḥanan, citing Rabbi Yonatan, say that in exchange for what is forbidden, God provides something amazing. In place of forbidden fish, there's the leviathan, a kosher sea monster of epic proportions. And for forbidden birds? There's the ziz, a bird so massive that, according to Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon, when it spreads its wings, it dims the sun! (Psalm 50:11) even mentions it: "I know every bird of the mountains; and the ziz of the field is with Me." The text playfully notes that it’s called ziz because it has many different tastes ("mizeh umizeh").
And what about forbidden animals? Well, there are "animals on thousands of hills," mentioned in (Psalm 50:10). Rabbi Yoḥanan, Reish Lakish, and other Rabbis debate what this refers to. Rabbi Yoḥanan says it's one enormous beast that sprawls across a thousand mountains, each offering it different grasses to eat. Reish Lakish believes this creature will be food for the righteous in the future, sustained by the bounty of the Sharon plain (Isaiah 65:10). And the Rabbis? They say this animal is so large that the mountains themselves grow different types of animals for it to eat!
Now, Rabbi Tanhuma raises a good question: where does this gargantuan creature drink? Rabbi Yoḥanan and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish offer different opinions. Rabbi Yoḥanan claims it swallows everything the Jordan River collects in six months in a single gulp! Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish doubles that, saying it drinks a year's worth of the Jordan in one go. But Rav Huna, in the name of Rabbi Yosei, says that's not even enough to wet its mouth!
The final answer? Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught that a river called Yuval flows from Eden, and that's where it drinks, as (Jeremiah 17:8) says: "And it shall spread its roots alongside a stream [yuval]."
The passage concludes with Rabbi Meir quoting (Job 12:7-9): "But ask now animals, and they will teach you... and the fish of the sea will relate to you. Who does not know, among all these, that the hand of the Lord has done this?" He interprets this as referring to the great beasts: the animals teaching us, the ziz telling us stories, the Garden of Eden conversing with us, and the leviathan relating the secrets of the sea.
So, what does it all mean? Perhaps it's a reminder that even within limitations, there is abundance and wonder. That the act of forbidding can also be an act of creating space for something new, something unexpected, something…monstrously magnificent. Maybe the rules aren't just about what we can't do, but about what we can discover within the framework. What do you think?
Another matter, “any man from the house of Israel” – that is what is written: “He performs justice for the exploited” (Psalms 146:7); this is Israel, in whose regard it is written: “So said the Lord of hosts: The children of Israel and the children of Judah are exploited” (Jeremiah 50:33). “He gives bread to the hungry” (Psalms 146:7), this is Israel, as it is written: He afflicted you and He starved you” (Deuteronomy 8:3). “The Lord releases [matir] the imprisoned [asurim]” (Psalms 146:7); what I prohibited [she’asarti] for you, I permitted [hitarti] for you. I prohibited the fat of a domesticated animal for you, but I permitted it for you in an undomesticated animal. I prohibited the sciatic nerve for you in an undomesticated animal, but I permitted it for you in birds. I prohibited for you birds without slaughter, but I permitted fish for you. Rabbi Abba and Rabbi Yonatan in the name of Rabbi Levi said: More than I prohibited for you, I permitted for you. I prohibited for you menstrual blood; I permitted for you hymenal blood.40By Torah law, a woman who experiences menstrual bleeding is forbidden to her husband, but a woman who experiences hymenal bleeding is not. I prohibited for you a married woman; I permitted for you a captive woman.41A woman whom you took captive in war, regardless of her marital status (see Deuteronomy 21:10–14). The brother’s wife, I permitted for you a levirate wife.42A man’s brother’s wife is forbidden to him even after his brother has died. However, if a man dies without children, his wife is permitted to his brothers through levirate marriage. A woman and her sister, [which is forbidden] during their lifetimes, I permitted for you after death.43One is not permitted to marry the sister of one’s wife, even if one has already divorced his wife. However, if one’s wife dies, one is permitted to marry her sister. Wearing diverse kinds, I permitted for you a linen garment with ritual fringes.44It is forbidden to wear a garment made of wool and linen. However, if one wears a four-cornered linen garment, one would still, by Torah law, affix to it ritual fringes made of wool. The flesh of a pig, I permitted for you a fish called shibuta.45The flesh of this fish tastes similar to the meat of a pig. Animal fat [ḥelev], I permitted for you animal fat [shuman].46The fat found in certain locations in the animal is forbidden, whereas fat in other places in the animal is permitted. Forbidden fat is called ḥelev, permitted fat is called shuman. Blood, I permitted for you the spleen. Meat and milk, I permitted for you the udder. Rabbi Menaḥama, Rabbi Bevai, Rabbi Aḥa, and Rabbi Yoḥanan in the name of Rabbi Yonatan said: In exchange for what I prohibited for you, I permitted for you. In exchange for the prohibition of [forbidden] fish, the leviathan is a kosher fish. In exchange for the prohibition of [forbidden] birds, the ziz is a kosher bird. That is what is written: “I know every bird of the mountains; and the ziz of the field is with Me” (Psalms 50:11). Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: When it spreads its wings it dims the disc of the sun.47It is so large that it blocks the light of the sun. That is what is written: “Is it through your understanding that the hawk flies, stretches its wings to the south?” (Job 39:26). Why is it called ziz? It is because it has several varieties of taste, from this and from that [mizeh umizeh]. In exchange for the prohibition of animals, “animals on thousands of hills” (Psalms 50:10); Rabbi Yoḥanan, Reish Lakish, and the Rabbis, Rabbi Yoḥanan says: It is one animal that is lying on one thousand mountains, and one thousand mountains grow many varieties of grasses for it, and it eats, as it is stated: “For produce of mountains will be carried to it” (Job 40:20). Reish Lakish said: It is one animal lying on one thousand mountains, and one thousand mountains grow food for it, so it will be food for the righteous, and it eats. What is the source? “The Sharon will be a pasture for flocks” (Isaiah 65:10). The Rabbis say: It is one animal and it is lying on one thousand mountains, and one thousand mountains grow various types of animals for it, and it eats. What is the source? “All the beasts of the field will frolic there” (Job 40:20). Is that possible, that an animal [behema] eats an animal?48The term behema, sometimes translated as domesticated animal, refers to a class of animals that are all herbivores. Rabbi Tanḥuma said: God’s deeds are great, how extraordinary are the deeds of the Holy One blessed be He. From where does it drink? Rabbi Yoḥanan and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Everything that the Jordan takes in over the course of six months, it swallows in one gulp. What is the source? As it is stated: “Behold, it can swallow a river, it need not rush” (Job 40:23). Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: Everything that the Jordan takes in over the course of twelve months, it swallows in one gulp. What is the source? “It is secure, even if it draws the Jordan into its mouth” (Job 40:23). It has enough just to wet the mouth. Rav Huna said in the name of Rabbi Yosei: It is not even enough just to wet the mouth. From where, then, does it drink? Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: A river emerges from Eden and its name is Yuval, and it drinks from there, as it is stated: “And it shall spread its roots alongside a stream [yuval]” (Jeremiah 17:8). Rabbi Meir said: “But ask now animals, and they will teach you” (Job 12:7), this is the animals. “And the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you” (Job 12:7), this is the ziz of the field. “Or converse with the earth, and it will teach you” (Job 12:8), this is the Garden of Eden. “And the fish of the sea will relate to you” (Job 12:8), this is the leviathan. “Who does not know, among all these, that the hand of the Lord has done this?” (Job 12:9).
