Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. Mixtures can be challenging in the Torah. We separate milk from meat, linen from wool and here, different sorts seeds in the planting of a parcel of land. The problem of mixtures might be understood as a ritual concern, but even so, rituals convey meaning too. What do you think the possible meanings are for the Torah's concerns for these boundaries?
2. What happens to a parcel of mixed seeds? The english translation of "tikdash" is often "defiled." However, the word comes from the root "kodesh and could just as well mean "becomes holy." According to biblical scholar, Jacob Milgrom, planting mixed seeds resulted in the produce becoming property of the Temple and so, unusable to the owner. What is the difference between the two translations?
3. When are mixtures creative and when dangerous?
4. What sorts of boundaries keep life functioning well and which limit it? Which keep chaos at bay and which hold us imprisoned?