[Avodah] Fish out of water?

[Joel Rich]

The mlacha of kotzer on Shabbat is generally defined as taking a living
organism and detaching it from the ground which is its chiyut (source of
life). The Yerushalmi (shabbat 48b) and many rishonim use this definition
to classify taking a fish out of water as kotzer. Some extend the concept
to keeping a fish in water but not in its natural environment (e.g. in the
bathtub?)

It occurs to me that one could see this as a metaphor for the Jewish people
outside of Israel. We can certainly stay alive there but we are cut off
from our chiyut. I’ve also wondered of late whether the tora of Rav
Soloveitchik (see especially his discussion of yosef hatzadik vs the
brothers) is heavily related to surviving in the exile while that of Rav
Kook is more focused on being in artzeinu, our natural habitat. Food for
thought at least -had their geographic "accidents" of dwelling been
reversed,m how would their writings differed>
Bsorot tovot

Joel Rich
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