1 And the Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.

3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.

4 Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

5 And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

6 And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.

8 Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.

In this chapter we start to hear the details for which animals would be clean or unclean to ancient Israel. We already saw back in the story of Noah that animal cleanliness was related to which ones could be offered as a sacrifice to the Lord, and today we see that it also determined which animals the people could eat. That is what most people know of these laws as, a dietary restriction, and even Orthodox Jews today are careful to observe these restrictions.

Many have pointed out that having unclean meat is a symbol for the unclean life. Just as the ancient Israelites were to avoid certain flesh, we are meant to avoid certain inappropriate influences, cultures, and trends. We must be careful to not contaminate our spirits with things that erode and confuse them.

But how do the parameters for clean and unclean beasts factor into that symbol? What is it about cloven hooves and chewing cud that reminds one of following a clean lifestyle? Let’s take a closer look.

First, let us consider the cloven hoof. This means that any animal with a paw was forbidden, which would include most predators, such as wolves and lions. Also, anything with a solid hoof, such as a horse was also out. Cloven feet are well suited to uneven terrain, able to flex in the middle between different elevations. They might represent being able to both live in the world and in the covenant, being able to navigate the challenges of making moral decisions.

Chewing the cud means chewing and swallowing food, partially digesting it in the stomach, then regurgitating it and chewing again to break it down further. Though an unseemly eating practice, this can be seen as constantly returning to and reflecting on the principles of the gospel. We take God’s word in once, digest it as best we can at the time, but then pondering on it again to gain even more insights. It can also represent being discerning, not accepting everything that is presented to us, but being able to bring back up anything that feels wrong so that we do not integrate corrupted ideas.

These are powerful symbols when taking individually, but when we combine them together and look at the class of animals that fit these criteria, there is even more to learn. Animals that chew the cud and have cloven hooves include the most docile herd animals, the most easily domesticated, and the most familiar to our species. It includes the cow, the sheep, and the goat. Carnivorous predators and stranger beasts are excluded. We see in these animals a sign that we should also herd together in our churches, that we should work together for the good of the whole, that we should follow a good shepherd, and that we should submit to our master.

When one first reads the laws of clean and unclean beasts it might seem antiquated and strange, but upon closer inspection we saw that the symbolism and lessons embedded in these laws were truly inspired.