The Bible teaches us that we should not wear a garment mingled with linen and wool. What does that mean?
LEVITICUS 19:19
“…Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shalt a garment mingled of linen and woolen come upon thee.”
The question was asked, “What does it mean? Should we not wear garments mingled with linen and woolen and how does that affect me today?” This is a really good question and when I asked those to whom I normally turn when I am faced with questions like this, I received an overwhelming, “I don’t know.” So I dug around a little and here is my take on this subject.
Firstly there are a few “could be’s”. One explanation could be that different threads or fabrics like linen and wool would react to wear and shrinkage in vastly different ways and combining them could lead to premature damaging of the cloth. This very practical reason could have greater spiritual meaning as we consider all of the possible meanings of this portion of scripture and we’ll get to that as I share my thoughts with you in the course of this article.
The second ”could be” is that it could very well be linked to superstition and paganism. Perhaps the combining of linen and wool had some more sinister significance than is apparent to us at first reading – perhaps it was linked to the warding off ‘spirits’ or perhaps providing some special power or invoking some special favor from a deity worshiped at that time. The same could be true of letting cattle gender with diverse kind and sowing mingled seed in one’s field. Perhaps these practices were linked to the worship of some deity other than Yehovah. The truth is that if this is so, it is an explanation lost in antiquity but one which may have made perfect sense to the people of the time.
Then again, it could simply be a reference to common practice of the day in an agricultural setting. These might have been things that these rural people just knew not to do; you didn’t mix linen with wool because of the danger of the fabric tearing under wear and with shrinkage; you didn’t let your cattle gender with a diverse kind because it destroyed the integrity of the breed and you didn’t sow your field with mingled seed because it made it difficult, if not impossible to harvest effectively. These people were farmers, perhaps these things were common knowledge to them and the writer was using them as an illustration for the point he was making in these chapters. Each of these can be of spiritual significance once we understand the gist of what these few chapters, in particular, are all about
How does this bare on our interpretation of verse 19?
Before I go there let me say this: “There are two ways that you could approach this verse (19). You could take these instructions literally or you could find some figurative or metaphoric meaning in what they have to say.
Now you might take these instructions literally just as the orthodox Jews and Hasidic Jews take the tenants of Deut 6 literally : “…and thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.”, and it would probably do you no harm to do so, but personally, I don’t believe that these verses were meant to be taken literally but to be interpreted figuratively. [This is my personal belief] I believe that binding the words of Torah “as a sign upon your hand” had something to do with remembering Torah during the day while you were working with your hands and keeping them “as frontlets between your eyes” meant that you did not lose sight of Torah (kept it in the forefront of your mind) throughout your day. In the same way, writing “them on the doorposts of your house” had something to do with remembering Torah every time you entered your home and every time you allowed a stranger into your home and writing them “on your gates” meant that you remembered God’s commandments, his statutes and ordinances every time you left your home and walked out through your gates so that you would not be defiled by the world into which you were to enter.
Personally, I think that the explanation lies somewhere in the previous chapter. Remember that the Tenach (Torah, Nevi’im, Ketuvum) [Torah, Prophets and Writings] were only divided into chapters in about 1205 and so chapter 18 is very much a part of chapter 19. Let’s read some of what it says in chapter 18 as an introduction to understanding 19:19.
“Defile not yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. You shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgements, and shall not commit any of these abominations: neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you: (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled.”
The references leading up to this statement are clearly references to pagan practices but those following are just as applicable and are warnings and instructions to stay away from pagan practices. Yehovah commands us not to follow after the ways of this world but to follow his statutes, judgements and commandments. Then verse 2 of chapter 19:
“…you shall be holy as I the Lord (YHWH) am holy.”
What does it mean to be holy? The Hebrew word here comes from the root word “qadash” which means, ‘to be, to make ceremonially clean or morally clean. It can also mean to dedicate or consecrate oneself or to sanctify (set apart for a specific purpose) oneself. In short, to be different. Different from those around you and you will do it by obeying his commandments, statutes and ordinances and by not following after the ways of the people living in the lands you are to possess.
What is God telling the Israelites in these chapters? He is telling them not to follow after the ways of the pagan world into which they were to be plunged. These ways were totally opposed to the ways of Torah and God YHWH sets out clearly what we are and are not to do. It is about being different from the world around us. It is God YHWH telling us that his ways are totally opposed to those of the pagan world. It is God YHWH telling us that in no way, shape or form do we belong together or in any way united with the ways of the pagan world. [Here I imagine God saying: “Let me give you an illustration to which you can relate.”]
It would be like a garment made of linen and wool – they don’t belong together and the garment would eventually be destroyed because of it; it would be like letting your cattle gender with a diverse kind, the integrity and the purity of the breed would be defiled and the result would be half-breeds which would be good for nothing; it would be like sowing your fields with mingled seed and then trying to coordinate a harvest of plants which would mature at different times and which would affect the integrity of the other and be almost impossible to harvest without spoiling one of the crops.
Shalom
Stewart Diesel-Reynolds, MA
