בס"ד


The story of Jacob our Patriarch and the remarkable way he built his great wealth in livestock, is described in the portion of Vayetzei (Genesis 30:35–43). Jacob received sick and weak flocks from his father-in-law, Laban, who repeatedly tried to deceive him. Although it was common practice in their time, and even today, to try and improve weak breeds by mixing them with stronger ones from different species, Jacob did not act in this manner. He ensured that he only bred within the same species, thereby not violating the prohibition of Hybrids.

There is a tradition among the Sages that Noahides are commanded to observe the laws concerning the prohibition of Kilayim (hybrids) in animals and trees. Jacob’s actions emphasize his strict adherence to maintaining the integrity of each species. The prohibition applies to mixing different species (such as a wolf with a dog, or a horse with a donkey), but not to creating variation within the same species. Jacob utilized an unusual technique to breed flocks that would bear the desired markings (ring-streaked, spotted, and speckled) this way he gained them according to his agreement with Laban. .

Why is maintaining species integrity so crucial? The act of Jacob was one of changing color features, but not creating a new hybrid. By doing so, he honored the natural order imprinted in Creation by the Creator, which is the primary reason for the prohibition (Ramban). Different types of trees, for instance, must not be hybridized together. For example, a branch of an apple tree must not be grafted onto another tree, and vice versa. There is an additional reason: breeding an animal with a species other than its own causes great physical suffering and distress (Sefer HaChinuch). Maimonides, in his book The Guide to the Perplexed, explains that the reason for prohibiting hybrids is to distance us from the practice of idolaters, because this was the way of idolaters, to hybridize two species.

Jacob carefully paired the flocks with the clear intent of acquiring wealth in a way that neither harmed the Creation nor violated its natural order. Jacob’s success was not merely the result of a clever scheme, but rather the result of Divine assistance. The fact that Jacob operated while diligently maintaining the purity of the species—in line with the moral essence of the prohibition—should have limited his results. Instead, this very adherence served as the basis for the great economic abundance that the Creator bestowed upon him.

The story of Jacob reinforces the idea that an individual’s physical and economic success is tied to the adherence to the principles of Creation, including the maintenance of species integrity. This commitment is an expression of honoring the Divine Order and ensuring the welfare of animals by not causing them suffering.

Door Rabbijn Moshe Bernstein

Source: Genesis 30:35–43. Rambam Kings 10:6. Sefer HaChinuch Mitzvah 550. Ramban Leviticus 19, 19.



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