Spreading holiness in world filled with unholiness

“Don’t eat ‘neveilah’ (meat from the carcass of an animal that dies a natural death) – give it to the ‘ger’ who lives in your gates, and he shall eat it. Or sell it to the ‘stranger.’ For you are a holy nation to the Lord your G-d. Don’t cook kid in its mother’s milk.” (Devarim 14:21)

The word ger in this sentence clearly does not refer to the person who converts to Judaism, because the convert is a Jew who is obligated in all the mitzvot of the Torah. This is why the Midrash Aggadah (quoted by Rashi) identifies the ger as a ger toshav, one who rejects idolatry, embraces Jewish sovereignty, lives with the Jewish people, but does not join the Jewish people by becoming one. The stranger, notes the Ibn Ezra, does not live with the Jewish people.

It is understandable that meat that is forbidden will be given away or sold. But why does the Torah say to give it to the ger toshav, but sell it to the stranger? Why can’t the owner earn a profit no matter where his neveilah goes? Why can’t he give it to the stranger? These questions are addresses in the Talmud Chullin (114b), where Rabbi Meir suggests that indeed a person can go either route with either kind of person.

Yet the Torah’s language remains specific, and it warrants an explanation.

In that Talmudic passage, Rabbi Meir further suggests that the Torah is teaching us a priority. We should be giving the ‘ger’ before we sell to the ‘stranger.’ While Rabbi Yehuda argues saying such an order of priority is obvious, one wonders how obvious it really is. Wouldn’t turning a profit, and the concept of parnasah, be more obvious than giving things away?

We do a mitzvah to “love the ger” (Devarim 10:19). But there is confusion as to which type of ger that sentiment refers to. Is it the colloquial ger – one who has become a full Jew? Or does it refer to the ger toshav?

This is why a different understanding is imperative in helping us understand why the Torah distinguishes between giving and selling, and between the ger toshav and the stranger. The Alshikh focuses on the kedusha aspect that is drawn out in the verse. What is kedusha?