Orthodox Jewish Laws Without Apparent Meaning

In a February 12, 2010 article in The Jewish Advocate, a Boston-area Jewish weekly, the work of a rabbi who checks for shatnez in clothing is depicted. Shatnez is the combination of wool and linen in the same garment, which is forbidden among extremely orthodox Jews. The reason for the prohibition is a biblical passage in Deuteronomy 22:11: “You shall not wear combined fibers, wool and linen together.” So the rabbi uses a microscope to examine fibers that he picks from various parts of a garment he tests. With the exception of undergarments, wigs, belts and earmuffs, no clothing may be worn until it is ruled shatnez free. That includes embroidery kits, oven mitts, blouses and baseball gloves. The rabbi states, “The mitzvah of shatnez is as important a mitzvah as ‘Do not steal,’ or ‘Love your friend as you love yourself.’

What gives here? Not combining wool and lines in clothing is just as important as loving thy neighbor or not stealing? No wonder most Jews are not Orthodox! This seem absolutely crazy. At least kosher laws have some apparent justification in being humane and promoting cleanliness. But come on now, mixing wool and linen? This is not like mixing milk and meat, which seems to be based on the callousness of washing down the meat of a calf in its mothers milk. Wool comes from the shearing, not killing, of a sheep and linen comes from a flax plant. Now what logic could there be in not mixing them? It seems like Orthodox Jews believe in following an extensive set of rules without regard to reason or benefit. This does not seem very spiritual and may even take the focus away from doing real good. The recent corruption scandal in New Jersey involving Orthodox rabbis speaks to this possibility.