Seder 83: Lev 11---Diet of a Holy People

 God tells the Israelites in Lev 11:45, "For I am the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God.  You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy." 

This is a message repeated often in the book of Leviticus--see 19:2; 20:7, 26; 21:8; 22;16.  God had set them apart for a special mission, and they were to be submitted to God in every part of their lives, including the way they ate.  

Leviticus 11 covers the rules for which kinds of meat were to be eaten by the Israelites, and which kinds were not to be eaten.  All of the sacrificial animals fell into the former category, the "clean" animals that could be eaten.  The distinction between clean and unclean animals seems to have been present for some time, going back to before the flood (Gen 7:1-3).  

There's no one rationale that covers all of the cases covered in Lev 11.  Certainly a number of creatures that are predators and scavengers fall into the "unclean" category.  Health benefits of following these dietary rules are often pointed out, but these are side benefits rather than the main purpose of the rules.

It should be remembered that all animals are God's creatures, and being declared "unclean" does not lessen the worth of a type of creature.  The rules of Lev 11 give some measure of protection to the unclean animals.

There is a common misunderstanding of Mark 7:19 ("Thus he declared all foods clean") that has Jesus abrogating these rules.  However, a growing number of scholars (Daniel Boyarin, James Crossley, Matthew Thiessen, Yair Furstenberg, John Van Maaren, et. al.) have recognized that in context, the discussion of Mark 7 is about ritual purity issues rather than dietary laws, and Jesus would not have cancelled biblical commandments in the same discussion in which he upheld such commandments as being superior to human traditions (vv 6-13).  

Peter's vision of Acts 10 also does not do away with these rules.  The vision had to do with Peter's treatment of people, not with his diet.  The issue of what things will best set God's people apart today is a separate discussion.