Small tidbits and Sparks of wisdom

Devarim 12:20
“When Hashem your God enlarges your borders, as He has promised you, and you say, ‘I wish to eat meat,’ because your soul desires to eat meat, you may eat meat according to all the desire of your soul.” (Devarim 12:20)
At first glance, this verse appears to be nothing more than a permission to eat meat. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, however, uncovers a profound philosophy of self-control, gratitude, and the proper role of physical pleasure in Jewish life.
Meat Was Not Meant to Be an Everyday Necessity
Rabbi Hirsch explains that during the forty years in the wilderness, the Jewish people generally could not slaughter kosher domestic animals simply for personal consumption. Animals suitable for offerings first had to be brought as Korban Shelamim, and only afterward could their meat be eaten. Since the entire nation camped near the Mishkan, this requirement was practical.
Upon entering Eretz Yisrael, however, the nation would spread across the land. Traveling to the Beis HaMikdash each time one wished to eat meat would be impossible. Therefore, the Torah now permits ordinary slaughter for food.
This permission was born out of practical necessity—not because unlimited meat consumption became an ideal.
A Permission Introduced with Caution
The Torah’s wording is striking:
“If you say, ‘I want to eat meat,’ because your soul desires meat…”
The Torah could simply have stated that meat is permitted. Instead, it introduces the permission with careful language.
From this wording, Chazal derive (Chullin 84a) that meat is not presented as an ordinary daily food, but rather as something consumed when there is a genuine desire or need.
Rabbi Hirsch notes that the Torah deliberately avoids encouraging indulgence. Permission does not equal recommendation.
Desire Is Not the Enemy
Rabbi Hirsch makes a subtle distinction between two Hebrew expressions:
תאווה (Ta’avah) often describes an uncontrolled craving or lust.
אוה (Avah) generally refers to a legitimate and proper desire.
Thus, the Torah speaks of “אוה נפש”—a natural desire arising from a person’s genuine needs—not an uncontrolled passion that overwhelms judgment.
Judaism does not seek to eliminate physical pleasure. Rather, it teaches that physical pleasures should remain under the direction of the soul and intellect.
The Contrast with Kivrot HaTa’avah
Rabbi Hirsch further explains that this verse stands in deliberate contrast to the episode of Kivrot HaTa’avah (Bamidbar 11), where the Jewish people lusted excessively for meat despite already receiving miraculous sustenance from Heaven.
Their demand was not based on need but on uncontrolled craving. The result was tragedy.
Here, however, the Torah permits eating meat when it is approached properly—with gratitude, moderation, and self-discipline.
The difference is not the meat itself.
The difference is the motivation behind eating it.
A Timeless Lesson
Rabbi Hirsch’s insight extends far beyond food.
Modern society often teaches that every desire should be satisfied immediately. The Torah teaches the opposite. A person first asks whether a desire is justified, beneficial, and consistent with his higher purpose.
Physical enjoyment is not rejected, but it is never allowed to become life’s master.
The Torah permits pleasure while demanding self-mastery.
That balance transforms ordinary physical acts into acts of holiness.
Conclusion
Devarim 12:20 teaches far more than the laws of eating meat. According to Rabbi Hirsch, it establishes a principle that applies to every area of life.
Hashem created the physical world for human enjoyment, but enjoyment must always remain guided by wisdom, gratitude, and discipline. The Jewish ideal is neither asceticism nor indulgence. It is the sanctification of everyday life by ensuring that desires serve the soul, rather than the soul serving its desires.
In this way, even something as ordinary as eating a meal becomes an opportunity to elevate oneself and to serve Hashem.