Vayikra 11:39-47 ויקרא י״א:ל״ט-מ״ז

בנבלתה. וְלֹא בָעֲצָמוֹת וְגִידִין וְלֹא בַקַּרְנַיִם וּטְלָפַיִם וְלֹא בָעוֹר (ספרא):

בנבלתה [HE THAT TOUCHETH] THE CARRION THEREOF [SHALL BE UNCLEAN] — but not if he touches the bones and sinews, nor the horns and claws, and not the hide after these have been removed from the body (Sifra, Shemini, Section 10 5; Chullin 117b).

והנשא את נבלתה. חֲמוּרָה טֻמְאַת מַשָּׂא מִטֻּמְאַת מַגָּע, שֶׁהַנּוֹשֵׂא מְטַמֵּא בְגָדִים, וְהַנּוֹגֵעַ אֵין בְּגָדָיו טְמֵאִין, שֶׁלֹּא נֶאֱמַר בּוֹ יְכַבֵּס בְּגָדָיו:

והנשא את נבלתה HE ALSO THAT BEARETH THE CARRION OF IT [SHALL BE UNCLEAN] — The uncleanness resulting from bearing the carrion is more stringent than the uncleanness resulting from contact with it; for he who bears it thereby renders his garments unclean, whilst as for him who touches it his garments do not thereby become unclean, since it does not state regarding him in the preceding verse: “he shall wash his garments” (cf. Rashi on v. 25).

והאכל מנבלתה. יָכוֹל תְּטַמְּאֶנּוּ אֲכִילָתוֹ? כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר בְּנִבְלַת עוֹף טָהוֹר (ויקרא כ"ב) "נְבֵלָה וּטְרֵפָה לֹא יֹאכַל לְטָמְאָה בָהּ", בָהּ — אוֹתָהּ מְטַמָּא בְגָדִים בַּאֲכִילָתָהּ וְאֵין נִבְלַת בְּהֵמָה מְטַמָּא בְגָדִים בַּאֲכִילָתָהּ בְּלֹא מַשָּׂא, כְּגוֹן אִם תְּחָבָהּ לוֹ חֲבֵרוֹ בְּבֵית הַבְּלִיעָה, אִם כֵּן מַה תַּ"ל הָאֹכֵל? לִתֵּן שִׁעוּר לַנּוֹשֵׂא וְלַנּוֹגֵעַ כְּדֵי אֲכִילָה, וְהוּא כַּזַּיִת (ספרא; נדה מ"ב):

והאכל מנבלתה AND HE THAT EATETH OF ITS CARRION [… SHALL BE UNCLEAN] — One might think from this statement that the act of eating therefrom makes him unclean! But this is not so because when it states of the carcass of a clean fowl (Leviticus 22:8) “that which dies of itself (נבלה) or that which is torn he shall not eat to defile himself therewith”, we may learn from it: בה “therewith” — only that (the carcass of a clean fowl) makes a person’s clothes unclean by the very act of eating therefrom, but the carcass of cattle does not make a person’s clothes unclean by the very act of eating therefrom if there is no carrying involved, e. g., if another person inserts it into his gullet (for one it not regarded as carrying something which is inside his body). But if this be so, why is it here stated “he that eateth”? In order to prescribe as a minimum for making unclean him who bears or touches such carrion a quantity as much as can be called “eating” viz., a piece as large as an olive (Sifra, Shemini, Section 10 7; Niddah 42b).

וטמא עד הערב. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁטָּבַל צָרִיךְ הַעֲרֵב שֶׁמֶשׁ:

עד הערב ‎‎וטמא AND HE SHALL BE UNCLEAN UNTO THE EVEN — although he may have immersed himself in water he must await sunset before he becomes clean.

השרץ על הארץ. לְהוֹצִיא אֶת הַיַּתּוּשִׁין שֶׁבַּכְּלִיסִין וְשֶׁבַּפּוֹלִין, וְאֶת הַזִּיזִין שֶׁבָּעֲדָשִׁים, שֶׁהֲרֵי לֹא שָׁרְצוּ עַל הָאָרֶץ אֶלָּא בְּתוֹךְ הָאֹכֶל, אֲבָל מִשֶּׁיָּצְאוּ לָאֲוִיר וְשָׁרְצוּ הֲרֵי נֶאֱסְרוּ (ספרא; חולין ס"ז):

‎‎‎‏על הארץ ‎ושרץ THAT CREEPETH ON THE EARTH — the law is worded thus in order to exclude the insects in peas and in beans and the mites in lentils, for, you see, these do not move about on the ground but inside the food, but so soon as they have emerged into the air and have moved about they become prohibited to be eaten (Sifra, Shemini, Chapter 12 1; Chullin 67b).

לא יאכל. לְחַיֵּב עַל הַמַּאֲכִיל כָּאוֹכֵל; וְאֵין קָרוּי שֶׁרֶץ אֶלָּא דָּבָר נָמוּךְ, קְצַר רַגְלַיִם, שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִרְאֶה אֶלָּא כְּרוֹחֵשׁ וְנָד:

לא יאכל IT SHALL NOT BE EATEN — This passive form; it shall not become the object of eating, is used to make the liability to punishment fall upon the one who gives these abominable things to others (to‎ minors) to eat just the same as upon him who himself eats them (Sifra, Shemini, Chapter 12 1; cf. Rashi on v. 13). — Only that is called שרץ which is low and has short feet and which seems only to progress by a creeping movement.

הולך על גחון. זֶה נָחָשׁ, וּלְשׁוֹן גָּחוֹן שְׁחִיָּה, שֶׁהוֹלֵךְ שָׁח וְנוֹפֵל עַל מֵעָיו:

‎גחון‎ הולך על THAT GOETH ON THE BELLY — This is the serpent (Sifra, Shemini, Chapter 12 2; Chullin 67b), and the expression גחון denotes bending low, so that the phrase means: that which walks bent down and fallen upon its belly.

כל הולך. לְהָבִיא הַשִּׁלְשׁוּלִין וְאֶת הַדּוֹמֶה לַדּוֹמֶה:

כל הולך EVERYTHING THAT GOETH — The word “everything” is employed to include worms and whatever is similar to anything similar to it (Sifra, Shemini, Chapter 12 2).

הולך על ארבע. זֶה עַקְרָב:

הולך על ארבע THAT GOETH UPON ALL FOUR — This is the scorpion (Sifra, Shemini, Chapter 12 2).

כל. לְהָבִיא אֶת הַחִפּוּשִׁית, אשקר"בוט בְּלַעַז, וְאֶת הַדּוֹמֶה לַדּוֹמֶה:

כל EVERYTHING [THAT GOETH UPON ALL FOUR] — The word “everything” is intended to include the beetle, — escarbot in O. F. — and whatever is similar to anything similar to it (Sifra, Shemini, Chapter 12 2).

מרבה רגלים. זֶה נַדָּל, שֶׁרֶץ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ רַגְלַיִם מֵרֹאשׁוֹ וְעַד זְנָבוֹ לְכָאן וּלְכָאן, וְקוֹרִין צינטפי"דש (ספרא):

מרבה רגלים [AND] WHAT HATH MANY FEET — This is the centipede (Sifra, Shemini, Chapter 12 2) — an insect which has feet from its head to its tail on both sides of its body, and it is called centpies in old French

אל תשקצו. בַּאֲכִילָתָן, שֶׁהֲרֵי כְּתִיב נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם וְאֵין שִׁקּוּץ נֶפֶשׁ בְּמַגָּע, וְכֵן וְלֹא תְטַמְּאוּ בַּאֲכִילָתָם:

אל תשקצו YE SHALL NOT MAKE [YOUR SOULS] ABOMINABLE, by eating these (Meilah 16b): this must be the meaning, because you see it is written “[ye shall not make] your souls [abominable]” and no soiling of the soul arises from touching these creatures. And similarly the words (v. 44) “neither shall ye defile [your souls]” mean: by eating them.

ונטמתם בם. אִם אַתֶּם מִטַּמְּאִין בָּהֶם בָּאָרֶץ, אַף אֲנִי מְטַמֵּא אֶתְכֶם בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא וּבִישִׁיבַת מַעְלָה (יומא ל"ט):

ונטמתם בם THAT YE SHOULD BE DEFILED THEREBY — If you become defiled thereby on earth I will treat you as defiled in the world-to-come and in the heavenly academy (cf. Yoma 39a).

כי אני ה' אלהיכם. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֲנִי קָדוֹשׁ שֶׁאֲנִי ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, כָּךְ וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם — קַדְּשׁוּ עַצְמְכֶם לְמַטָּה:

כי אני ה׳ אלהיכם FOR I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD — Just as I am holy, I, Who am the Lord your God, similarly והתקדשתם MAKE YOURSELVES HOLY below on earth ( (Sifra, Shemini, Chapter 12 3),

והייתם קדשים. לְפִי שֶׁאֲנִי אֲקַדֵּשׁ אֶתְכֶם לְמַעְלָה וּבָעוֹלָם הַבָּא:

והייתם קדשים AND YE WILL BE HOLY, because I will then treat you as holy, above and in the world-to-come (Yoma 39a).

ולא תטמאו וגו'. לַעֲבֹר עֲלֵיהֶם בְּלָאוִין הַרְבֵּה, וְכָל לָאו מַלְקוּת, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ בַּתַּלְמוּד (מכות ט"ז:), אָכַל פּוּטִיתָא לוֹקֶה אַרְבַּע, נְמָלָה לוֹקֶה חָמֵשׁ, צִרְעָה לוֹקֶה שֵׁשׁ:

ולא תטמאו NEITHER SHALL YE DEFILE [YOUR SOULS] etc. — This is repeated in order to bring it about that a person transgresses many negative commands when he eats such abominable things: and every single negative commandment involves for its transgression the punishment of lashes. This is the meaning of what they said in the Talmud (Makkot 16b): if one has eaten a Putisa (a shell fish or water reptile), he receives floggings (39 lashes) four times, (because four of the different prohibitions referring to שרצים apply to such a water reptile); if he has eaten an ant, he receives five such floggings; a hornet, six such floggings.

כי אני ה' המעלה אתכם. עַל מְנָת שֶׁתְּקַבְּלוּ מִצְוֹתַי הֶעֱלֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם; דָּבָר אַחֵר, כִּי אֲנִי ה' הַמַּעֲלֶה אֶתְכֶם: בְּכֻלָּן כְּתִיב "הוֹצֵאתִי" וְכָאן כְּתִיב "הַמַּעֲלֶה", תָּנָא דְבֵי רַ' יִשְׁמָעֵאל אִלְּמָלֵי לֹא הֶעֱלֵיתִי אֶת יִשְֹרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁאֵין מִטַּמְּאִין בִּשְׁרָצִים כִּשְׁאָר אֻמּוֹת דַּיָּם, וּמַעַלְיוּתָא הִיא גַּבַּיְהוּ, זֶהוּ לְשׁוֹן מַעֲלָה:

כי אני ה׳ המעלה אתכם FOR I AM THE LORD THAT BRINGETH YOU UP [OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT] — On condition that you should accept My commandments did I bring you up (Sifra, Shemini, Chapter 12 4). Another explanation of: FOR I AM THE LORD THAT BRINGETH YOU UP — In all other places it is written, “I brought (you) forth”, and here it is written “that bringeth (you) up” — in reference to this it was taught in the school of R. Ishmael: If I had brought up Israel from Egypt only to effect this one thing — that they do not defile themselves by reptiles as do the other peoples, that should be sufficient for them (Bava Metzia 61b), and it should be regarded by them as an elevation for themselves — this is what is implied in the expression used here: מעלה (I raised you above the people of the land of Egypt).

להבדיל. לֹא בִּלְבַד הַשּׁוֹנֶה, אֶלָּא שֶׁתְּהֵא יוֹדֵעַ וּמַכִּיר וּבָקִי בָּהֶן (ספרא):

להבדיל TO MAKE A DISTINCTION — Not that one should only learn the laws, but it is a command that you should know and recognize the differences and be expert in them (Sifra, Shemini, Chapter 12 6).

בין הטמא ובין הטהר. צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר בֵּין חֲמוֹר לְפָרָה, וַהֲלֹא כְבָר מְפֹרָשִׁים הֵם? אֶלָּא בֵּין טְמֵאָה לְךָ לִטְהוֹרָה לְךָ — בֵּין נִשְׁחַט חֶצְיוֹ שֶׁל קָנֶה לְנִשְׁחַט רֻבּוֹ:

‎הטהור‎‎ בין הטמא ‎ובין‎ BETWEEN THE UNCLEAN AND THE CLEAN — Is it necessary to say. that one should understand to distinguish between the ass and the cow? Have they not already been closely defined as to their distinguishing characteristics? But the meaning is: that you should thoroughly understand to distinguish between what is unclean for you and what is clean for you (i. e. between what is forbidden and what is permitted to you) — between the case of an animal only half of whose wind-pipe has been cut through by the knife, and the case when the greater part has been cut through (in the former case the animal is forbidden, in the latter it is permitted as food) (Sifra, Shemini, Chapter 12 7).

ובין החיה הנאכלת. צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר בֵּין צְבִי לְעָרוֹד וַהֲלֹא כְבָר מְפֹרָשִׁים הֵם? אֶלָּא בֵּין שֶׁנּוֹלְדוּ בָהּ סִימָנֵי טְרֵפָה כְּשֵׁרָה לְנוֹלְדוּ בָהּ סִימָנֵי טְרֵפָה פְּסוּלָה (ספרא):

ובין החיה הנאכלת AND BETWEEN AN ANIMAL THAT MAY BE EATEN — Is it necessary to say that one should learn to distinguish between a stag and a wild ass? Have not these already been closely defined as to their distinguishing characteristics? But the meaning is: that you should thoroughly understand to distinguish between the case when there have arisen in it (in the animal) signs by which one might regard it as forbidden (טרפה) and yet it is permitted as food (כשרה), and the case when there have arisen in it signs by which one might regard it as forbidden and because of which it is actually unfitted to be eaten (Sifra, Shemini, Chapter 12 8).