Pigs feet? Become Kosher? Never.
Never, you say? Well, consider this: the Hebrew term for this unkosher omnivore is Chazer. This Hebrew name that it carries, says the Talmud, indicates that in the future, in the time of Moshiach, Hashem will yachzirena (return it) to the Jewish people and it will become Kosher.
How does that make sense? Well, I don’t know the literal explanation, or if it is even supposed to be taken literally; but here’s a nice insight that I will share with you:
Kosher animals must chew their cud and have split hooves. Chassidic teachings identify the kosher signs in animals as reflecting spiritual accomplishment, and the lack of kosher signs as spiritual deficiencies.
An animal that has both kosher signs reflects a person whose personal character is refined and holy, and whose actions and interactions with others reflect this internal refinement.
So just to clarify:
Chews its cud = refined character
Has split hooves = many good deeds
Now, an animal that is lacking in one or the other sign reflects an individual who is lacking either in character refinement or is lacking in interaction with others and good deeds. This means that the pig, an animal that has split hooves but doesn’t chew its cud, reflects a person who has many good deeds but whose character is not so refined.
When Moshiach comes and the world will be cleansed of all negative elements and is elevated to a higher state of purity, the lack of character refinement will be rectified. But, the missing good deeds cannot be added.
Therefore, our sages say, the pig will “return”; i.e. the person whose personal spiritual character is lacking will become refined.
However, if ones personal spiritual character is well developed but the good deeds are lacking, this cannot be fixed or retrieved retroactively.
In other words, as the sages said, a pig will become purified.
This is not about "putting lipstick on a pig"; it is about recognizing the high value placed on positive actions and mitzvot. So when in doubt, do a mitzvah!