Why Not Fish?

4 Adar II 5782

“If someone’s sacrifice to G‑d is an ascent-offering of fowl.” (Vayikra 1:14)

“Mammals allude to those among us whose animal nature is relatively pronounced. Fowl, because they can fly, allude to those of us who are less ’earth-bound,’ i.e., who live a more intellectual life and can therefore ‘fly’ above a purely animal existence. Nonetheless, just as fowl need to periodically rest from flight, human intellect is limited by nature. Therefore, fowl, like mammals, are used as sacrifices, since both our animal natures and our intellects need to be spiritually refined and uplifted.

In contrast, fish, which must remain constantly in water, allude to those of us who have so refined themselves that they remain always connected to G‑d, ‘swimming’ constantly in Divine consciousness. Since the Divine side of our personality does not need the elevation that our animal side does, fish are not used for sacrifices.” (Daily Wisdom, Lubavitcher Rebbe)

“Why then did their souls descend to this world, to strive in vain, G-d forbid, waging war all their lives against their evil inclination yet never being able to vanquish it?” (Lessons in Tanya, Likutei Amarim, beginning of Chapter 35)

Lessons in Tanya explains that exactly this then is the purpose of the Beinoni’s existence, not just to cause Divine pleasure through battling his animal soul, but also to refine the animal soul itself: “It was explained in the previous chapters that the ongoing battle waged by the beinoni in preventing his evil inclination from asserting itself in thought, speech, and action causes prodigious pleasure Above. How then can we complain that the battle is in vain? Yet, were this divine pleasure the sole object of the battle, there would be no reason for having the divine soul clothed within the animal soul; on the contrary, the two souls ought then to be separate and distinct from each other so that whenever the divine soul emerges victorious from a particular struggle, it would then act alone, without the participation of the animal soul. Since the divine soul is clothed within the animal soul, the objective obviously lies in perfecting the animal soul itself.”

This also explains why fish may not be offered up on the altar. The sacrifices were meant to uplift the coarseness of nature to holiness. Fish, however, like tzaddikim, never lose contact to the medium they “swim” in. They are constantly attached to their source of life. Therefore, they cannot be used in this specific service to Hashem, and must instead “relegate” themselves to aiding and inspiring others in their battle with and refining of the animal soul.

“If an army were to beleaguer me, my heart would not fear; if war were to arise against me, in this I trust. One thing I have asked of the Lord, this I seek: that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the pleasantness of the Lord, and to visit His Sanctuary.” (Tehillim 27:3-4)

Tehilllim Ohel Yoseph Yitzchok explains these verses as follows, “King David acknowledges and praises God, placing his trust in Him because of his victories in war. ‘Nevertheless, it is not wars that I desire, for I cannot gain perfection with them. Only one thing do I ask: to abide day and night in the study hall studying Torah, to gain perfection so that my soul may merit the life of the World to Come.’”

Even though the tzaddikim have no part in the battle and refinement of the animal soul, we must all nonetheless aspire to put this war behind us, for we cannot gain perfection through it. If we are not granted the merit of ascending to that level in this life, we must nonetheless strive towards it with all our our might and the additional certainty that at the Coming of Moshiach “all the Jewish People will be spiritually fit, tzaddikim and shomrei Torah u’mitzvos.” (Divrei Yoel Parashas Eikev, p. 80)