להבדיל בין הטמא ובין הטהור שנבדיל בכל הנזכרים בין הטמאים לטהורים לענין הטומאה ובין החיה הנאכלת נמשך לנפש הנזכרת ובין נפש החיה הנאכלת ויאמר שנבדיל לענין אכילה בין נפש החיה הנאכלת על פי התורה במים ועל הארץ ובין החיה אשר לא תאכל בהם ובתורת כהנים (סוף פרשת שמיני) אמרו חכמים אומרים בין החיה אשר לא תאכל ליתן אזהרה לחיה ואם כן הוא לאו ולשון רש"י (רש"י על ויקרא י״א:מ״ז) בין הטמא ובין הטהור צריך לומר בין פרה לחמור והלא כבר מפורשין הן אלא בין טמאה לך לטהורה לך בין שנשחט חציו של קנה לנשחט רובו (ת"כ) וקתני התם (פרק יב ז) וכמה הוא בין רובו לחציו כמלא שערה ולא תחוש בזה ממה שאמרו בגמרא (חולין כט) רוב הנראה לעינים בעינן שאין פירושו אלא להוציא מדברי האומר (שם) מחצה על מחצה כרוב ולכך אמרו דבעי שיהא השחוט רוב ממש כדי שיראה לעינים לא המחצה שנחשוב אותו בלבנו ונאמר רוב הוא השחוט מאחר שאין במה שלא נשחט יותר ממנו אבל כל שישחטו ממנו יותר מן החצי כשר הוא ואפילו כמלא חוט השערה כדמפורש בזו הברייתא ואף בגמרא כך הוא עולה: TO MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE UNCLEAN AND THE CLEAN. This means that we should distinguish between all things mentioned above, between the unclean and the clean, with regard to impurity[through contact]. AND BETWEEN THE ANIMAL THAT MAY BE EATEN. This is connected with the word “soul” mentioned [in the preceding verse], thus meaning: “and between the living animal that may be eaten.” Scripture is thus stating that we should distinguish as far as eating is concerned, between the living animal that may be eaten according to the Torah in the waters and upon the earth,278Verse 46. and the animal in them that may not be eaten. In the Torath Kohanim the Rabbis said:279Torath Kohanim, at end of Shemini. “And ‘hachayah’ (the beast) that may not be eaten. The Sages say, this establishes a prohibition against eating a [forbidden type of] beast.”280For even though chayah (beast) is included in the term beheimah (cattle), as explained above in Verse 24, yet Scripture mentioned here a specific prohibition with regard to a forbidden chayah. If so, there is a special negative commandment regarding it.
Now Rashi wrote: “To make a distinction between the unclean and the clean. Is it necessary to tell us to distinguish between the cow and the ass? Have they not clearly been defined already [by distinguishing signs]? But the meaning is: [to make a distinction between] that which is forbidden for you and that which is permitted for you,281I.e., between that which has been rendered forbidden for you because you have not slaughtered it properly, and that which has been rendered permitted for you through proper ritual slaughtering (Mizrachi). between the case of an animal of which only half of the windpipe was cut, [in which case, even if he cut through the whole gullet, it may not be eaten], and the case of an animal of which the greater part of the windpipe [or the entire windpipe] was cut through, [in addition to the gullet, or the greater part of it being cut through, which is permitted to be eaten].” There [in Tractate Chullin]282Chullin 293a. it is taught: “And how much is there between half and the greater part of it? As much as a hair’s breadth,” [and it is this which requires ‘making a distinction’]. Do not be disturbed here because of that which they said there in the Gemara282Chullin 293a. that it must be “a greater part which is apparent to the eyes” [thus a mere hair’s breadth would not be sufficient], for the meaning of that was only in order to exclude the opinion of the Sage283The name of the Sage is Rav. who says that half and half is treated as if the majority [was cut through]; therefore they said that the part cut through must actually be a greater part, which is apparent to the eyes, not a half which we only treat in our minds [as the greater part], and we say that “the greater part” was cut through since the part not cut through is not larger than it [the part which was cut through]. But so long as more than half was [actually] cut through, it may be eaten, even if it be only by as much as a hair’s breadth, as is clearly explained in that Beraitha,282Chullin 293a. and as it emerges from the discussion of the Gemara.
Tazria
11:47
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