[Avodah] Kelayim - Holy or Evil?

[Micha Berger]

I think most of us have the impression, perhaps correctly, that kelayim
are evil, which is why it's assur to make or use them.

To justify this opinion, R' Shimon ben Elazaqr defines shaatnez as
"naluz umeiliz es Aviv shebashayim alav." (Mishnah Kelayim 9:8, 9:5
in the Vilna ed Y-mi)

And if we look at R' Dessler on shaatnez, he draws from Qabbalah about
rachamim and gevurah. Rachamim is appropiate with others, gevurah is
used internally (hakoveish es yitzro). Shaatnez represents an admixture,
cutting yourself slack but being harsh with others. He also discusses
Kayin's flax and Hevel's sheep. As did Rabbeinu Bachya well before him.
According to R' Bachya, shaatnez enables the combination of kochos
that brought about Kayin and Hevel's ruin.

The Moreh places shatnez in the "Wean away from error" category, saying
it was used for magic and to communicate with demons. (Both of which he
held were trickery.)


OTOH, all through Mes' Kelayim, the prohibition is "maqdish" the
resulting combination. The lashon implies that the problem is that
mixtures of species or of shaatnez is too much for this world.

And the avneit is made from shaatnez (sheish and techeiles) as was the
kohein gadol's kusones tashbeitz.

So, what is it -- is kelayim a negative, or is it altogether the reverse:
too positive for daily use? And what does that say about the Torah's
attitude WRT "tampering" with the order of nature?

Is the creation of a mule simply too G-d-like / Qodesh to be done, or is
it a bad thing?

-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Zion will be redeemed through justice,
micha at aishdas.org        and her returnees, through righteousness.
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