Daily Talk

The Discipline of Distinction

At the exact midpoint of Sefer Kedushah, the Rambam pivots from the sanctity of human relationships to the sanctity of what we consume — revealing that holiness is, at its core, the art of knowing what to let in and what to keep out.

Issurei Biah 21-22, Maachalot Asurot 1Thursday, May 7, 2026

The Discipline of Distinction

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About This Talk

As the Rambam closes his laws of forbidden relationships and opens his laws of forbidden foods, a single architectural principle emerges: kedushah means learning to distinguish. Chapters 21-22 of Issurei Biah teach that sanctifying intimacy requires guarding the eyes, the mind, and the social structures that protect us from our own vulnerabilities. Chapter 1 of Maachalot Asurot then applies the identical logic to the animal kingdom.

The Discipline of Distinction | The Rambam Experience