Daily Chumash Friday Shemini: Kashrus laws

Shishi

1. The Kashrus laws:
   • Hashem spoke to Moshe saying, tell the Jewish people the following laws of Kashrus:
   • Signs of Kosher animals: You may eat the following animals from amongst all the animals on earth: Any animal that has completely split hooves and chews their cud [regurgitates their food], may be eaten.
   • The non-Kosher animals: The following you may not eat amongst those who chew their cud or have split hooves: The camel, hyrax and rabbit, as although they chew their cud they do not have split hooves. Likewise, the pig may not be eaten as it has split hooves but does not chew its cud. You may not eat their flesh, and if their corpse is touched one becomes impure.
   • Kosher fish: All fish that have fins and scales may be eaten. All fish that do not have fins and scales are not Kosher and are considered an abomination for you.
   • Non-Kosher birds: The following [20] birds are not Kosher and are considered an abomination to eat [the identification of these birds from the original Hebrew is mostly unknown]: 1) Eagle; 2) Peres; 3) Ozniah; 4) Daah; 5) Ayah; 6) Raven; 7) Bas Hayaanah; 8) Tachmos; 9) Shachaf; 10) Netz [i.e. sparrow hawk]; 11) Kos; 12) Shalach [i.e. seagull] 13) Yanshuf [i.e. owl] 14) Tinshemes; 15) Kaas; 16) Racham; 17) Chasidah [i.e. stork]; 18) Anafah; 19) Duchifas [i.e. wild rooster]; 20) Atalef [bat].
   • Insects: All flying creatures that walk on all four legs is an abomination to you.
   • Locusts: The following insects may be eaten: Those locusts who walk on four legs and have an additional two jumping legs which they use to jump upon the earth, of these the following species may be eaten: Arbeh; Salam; Chargol; Chagav.

2. Laws of Tuma:
   • The following carcasses cause one to contract impurity if they are touched or carried. If one touches them he becomes impure until evening and if he carries them he and his clothing become impure, and he is to wash his clothing.
   • Animal carcasses who give off impurity: The carcasses of all animals that do not have completely split hooves and do not chew their cud are impure, and whoever touches them becomes impure. All animals that walk on their paws are impure to you and whoever touches their carcass is impure until evening.
   • Creeping animal carcasses which give off impurity: The following creeping creatures give off impurity: 1) Choled [i.e. weasel]; 2) Achbar [i.e. rat]; 3) Tzav [i.e. turtle]; 4) Hanaka [i.e. porcupine] 5) Koach; 6) Letaah [i.e. lizard]; 7) Chomet [i.e. snail]; 8) Tinshemes [i.e. mole]. One who touches their dead bodies is impure until evening.
   • Vessels becoming impure: If the above carcasses fell on a garment of leather, or sackcloth, or on a vessel, it must be immersed and remains impure until evening.