Are You What You Eat?

This series with Rabbi Dovid Fink explores the Rabbinic view that eating prohibited foods defiles the soul (מטמטם את הלב). We will examine whether the harm comes from the violation of halacha itself or from the inherent nature of forbidden foods and what happens when they are consumed. The discussion will address complex cases: what happens when one eats prohibited food unwittingly or unwillingly, and how does intent or circumstance—such as consuming forbidden food to save a life—affect the soul’s spiritual state.