📜 Daily Chumash & Rashi Parshas Shemini – Shishi: Kashrus laws

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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.
  1. 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.

Category

Kosher Criteria

Non-Kosher Examples

Kosher Examples

Impurity Laws

Animals

Completely split hooves and chews cud

Camel, hyrax, rabbit (chew cud, no split hooves); pig (split hooves, does not chew cud)

 

Touching/carrying non-kosher carcass causes impurity until evening

Fish

Fins and scales

Fish without fins and scales

Fish with fins and scales

 

Birds

 

Eagle, Peres, Ozniah, Daah, Ayah, Raven, Bas Hayaanah, Tachmos, Shachaf, Netz, Kos, Shalach, Yanshuf, Tinshemes, Kaas, Racham, Chasidah, Anafah, Duchifas, Atalef

 

 

Insects

Locusts with four legs and two jumping legs

All flying creatures that walk on all four legs

Arbeh, Salam, Chargol, Chagav

 

Creeping Creatures

 

Choled, Achbar, Tzav, Hanaka, Koach, Letaah, Chomet, Tinshemes

 

Touching dead bodies causes impurity until evening

Vessels

 

 

 

If carcasses fall on garment, leather, sackcloth, or vessel, immerse and remains impure until evening

📘 Rashi Q&A — Vayikra 11:1–32

 

11:1 — To Whom God Spoke

Q1. What does “אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל־אַהֲרֹן” mean according to Rashi?

A: God spoke to Moses, instructing him to convey the message to Aaron.      

 

Q2. Who does “לֵאמֹר אֲלֵהֶם” refer to?

A: To Eleazar and Itamar, Aaron’s surviving sons.

 

11:2 — Speaking to Israel

Q3. Why are Moses, Aaron, Eleazar, and Itamar all included in conveying this command?

A: As a reward for their equal silent acceptance of God’s decree concerning Nadav and Avihu.

 

11:2 — “זֹאת הַחַיָּה”

Q4. Why is the word חַיָּה used here according to Rashi?

A: Because Israel is attached to life, and therefore restricted from foods that cause spiritual defilement.

 

Q5. Why were such restrictions not placed upon the nations?

A: Because such commandments would be meaningless and ineffective for them.

 

Q6. What midrashic analogy does Rashi cite?

A: A doctor who restricts a sick person but does not restrict a healthy one.

 

11:2 — Teaching by Demonstration

Q7. What does the word “זֹאת” indicate according to Rashi?

A: That Moses showed each creature physically and said: “This you may eat; this you may not.”

 

11:3 — Signs of Permitted Animals

Q8. What does “מַפְרֶסֶת” mean?

A: Split, as Onkelos translates it.

 

Q9. What does “פַּרְסָה” mean according to Rashi?

A: The sole of the foot.

 

Q10. What does “וְשֹׁסַעַת שֶׁסַע” add beyond mere splitting?

A: That the hoof must be fully split above and below into two nails.

 

Q11. What does “מַעֲלַת גֵּרָה” mean?

A: The animal regurgitates its cud to re-chew it.

 

Q12. What does “גֵּרָה” refer to?

A: The regurgitated food, which flows back toward the mouth.

 

Q13. How does Onkelos translate גֵּרָה?

A: As פִּשְׁרָא, meaning “dissolved”.

 

11:3 — Extra Word “בַּבְּהֵמָה”

Q14. What law does Rashi derive from the extra word “בַּבְּהֵמָה”?

A: That a fetus found in its mother’s womb is permitted.

 

11:3 — “אֹתָהּ תֹּאכֵלוּ”

Q15. What additional implication does Rashi derive from this wording?

A: That eating a defiled animal violates both a positive and a negative command.

 

11:8 — Touching Carcasses

Q16. Why does the Torah say “וּבְנִבְלָתָם לֹא תִגָּעוּ”?

A: To apply specifically during pilgrimage festivals.

 

Q17. How does Rashi prove this limitation?

A: By an a fortiori argument from corpse‑defilement, which restricts only priests.

 

Q18. What principle is derived from this verse?

A: That everyone must purify themselves for the festivals.

 

11:9 — Water Creatures

Q19. What are סְנַפִּיר according to Rashi?

A: Fins, used for swimming.

 

Q20. What are קַשְׂקֶשֶׂת?

A: Scales, fixed shells attached to the body.

 

 

11:11 — “וְשֶׁקֶץ יִהְיוּ”

Q21. Why are these words added according to Rashi?

A: To forbid even mixtures when their taste is imparted.

 

Q22. What is excluded from the prohibition?

A: Fins and bones, only flesh is forbidden.

 

Q23. What additional case is included by “וְאֶת־נִבְלָתָם תְּשַׁקֵּצוּ”?

A: Midgests strained from liquid.

 

11:12 — Additional Verse About Fins and Scales

Q24. Why was this verse necessary according to Rashi?

A: To permit fish that shed fins or scales after leaving the water, if they had them in water.

 

11:13 — Forbidden Birds

Q25. What does the passive form “לֹא יֵאָכְלוּ” imply?

A: That one may not feed them to minors either.

 

Q26. Does this wording forbid benefit from these birds?

A: No — they are forbidden only for eating, not benefit.

 

Q27. Why does Scripture repeatedly say “לְמִינָהּ”?

A: Because each species includes other birds that differ in name or appearance.

 

11:17–19 — Identifications

Q28. What is שָׁלָךְ according to Rashi?

A: The cormorant, named for drawing fish from water.

 

Q29. What does כּוֹס יַנְשׁוּף refer to?

A: Screeching owls with human‑like cheeks.

 

Q30. What is תִּנְשֶׁמֶת?

A: The bat among birds; elsewhere the mole among crawling creatures.

 

Q31. Why is the stork called חֲסִידָה?

A: Because it shares food with others, showing kindness.

 

11:20–23 — Flying Crawlers

Q32. What does “שֶׁרֶץ הָעוֹף” mean?

A: Low flying creatures such as flies, wasps, mosquitoes, and grasshoppers.

 

Q33. What does “מִמַּעַל לְרַגְלָיו” refer to?

A: Extra jointed legs near the neck used for jumping.

Q34. Why are we not expert today in identifying permitted locusts?

A: Because identification also requires the name חָגָב, which is uncertain.

 

Q35. What does the verse teach about a five‑legged crawler?

A: That it is permitted.

 

11:24–28 — Defilement Through Carcasses

Q36. What defilement results from carrying versus touching a carcass?

A: Carrying is more stringent, requiring immersion of garments.

 

Q37. What animals walk “עַל־כַּפָּיו”?

A: Animals that walk on paws, like dogs, bears, and cats.

 

11:29–31 — Crawling Creatures

Q38. What does “וְזֶה לָכֶם הַטָּמֵא” emphasize?

A: That these laws refer to ritual defilement only, not eating.

 

Q39. What does הַחֹלֶד refer to?

A: The weasel.

 

Q40. What does הַצָּב refer to?

A: The toad.

 

11:32 — Objects Becoming Defiled

Q41. What happens when a carcass falls on a vessel?

A: The object becomes ritually defiled and requires immersion.

 

Q42. What does “בַּמַּיִם יוּבָא” teach?

A: That even after immersion, the object remains defiled until nightfall.

 

Q43. What completes the purification process?

A: Nightfall.

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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