D22-8: The Three Forbidden Mixtures That Were A Mystery To The Rabbis

“You are not to sow two kinds of seed between your rows of vines; if you do, both the two harvested crops and the yield from the vines must be forfeited.  You are not to plow with an ox and a donkey together.  You are not to wear clothing woven with two kinds of thread, wool and linen together.”-Deuteronomy 22:9-11

From verse 9, we are gonna be deep diving into what is commonly referred to as “illicit mixtures” in the Scriptures.

Actually, a few days ago, we already discussed one illicit mixture in a different context: transvestism.

Let’s explore the meaning of the word “illicit” for a second here.

“Illicit” means something that is NOT approved or authorized.

It is a gross violation of the proper order of things.

From the Creator’s perspective, these are unions or mixtures that should NEVER be allowed.

Why?

Because they are an insult to how the Lord created the universe and thus represent a severe form of rebellion against Him.

However, much more than the action, what’s really at stake here is the blasphemous attitude of one who would so casually break these rules.

The three illicit mixtures are as follows:

-A  farmer sowing 2 kinds of seeds in the area of soil located between the rows of grapevines in his vineyard

-An ox and a donkey forcibly yoked together to pull a plow

-Wearing clothing woven out of the two different threads of wool and linen

We actually first encountered these instructions in the following verse from the Book of Leviticus.

“‘Observe my regulations.
“‘Don’t let your livestock mate
with those of another kind,
don’t sow your field with
two different kinds of grain,
and don’t wear a garment of cloth made
with two different kinds of thread.”
-Leviticus 19:19

In Hebrew, any kind of mixture or union prohibited by God is called KILAYIM.

Literally, this means “more than kind”.

The Rabbis considered these laws to be so important that in the Talmud there’s an entire tractate dedicated to the subject aptly titled KILAYIM.

However, what’s interesting is when you examine the writings of the ancient sages, you’ll find they really couldn’t explain why…

….the Lord prohibited 2 kinds of seeds being planted together…

….or why it was wrong to have a donkey and an ox yoked to the same plow…

…or why wearing a garment of mixed material was a no-no.

It was a big mystery to them.

While I can appreciate their humility in declining to delve into the WHY behind the WHAT of these Laws, I intend to dive deeper.

Much deeper in fact.

Brace yourself, because you’re about to discover some astonishing connections unfold right before your very eyes as we move forward on this subject.

Stay frosty until next time.