מתני׳ כל שיש לו קשקשת יש לו סנפיר ויש שיש לו סנפיר ואין לו קשקשת
MISHNA: There is a principle with regard to the signs indicating that fish are kosher: Any fish that has scales has fins; and there are fish that have fins but do not have scales.
(ג) כל שיש לו קשקשת יש לו סנפיר ויש שיש לו סנפיר ואין לו קשקשת לפיכך מצא חתיכת דג שיש לו קשקשת אין צריך לחזור אחר סנפיר מצא לו סנפיר לא יאכלנו עד שידע שיש לו קשקשת:
(3) Everything that has scales has fins, and there are [fish] that have fins but not scales. Therefore, if one found a cut of fish that has scales, one does not have to go after fins. If one found fins, one should not eat it until he knows it has scales.
Free as a Fish - Parashat Shemini by Dena Weiss
With this lens in mind, we need to return to what fish represent to understand why they would be considered unfit for korbanot. Just as we don’t bring animals of prey, so too we don’t bring fish. The carnivorous animals are disqualified because they represent violence and the thirst for blood, and the fish are disqualified because they represent invulnerability.
Being invulnerable is incompatible with sacrifice for two reasons. The first is that sacrifices are often brought to atone for sins. The animals and birds which are brought come to facilitate a human being’s stating that they acknowledge their responsibility. They understand that they have done something wrong and have come forward to admit it. A fish sliding its way through nets and past hooks, owned by no one and able to avoid most threats, does not signify the taking of responsibility and instead represents evading consequences and gestures to the ability to get away without “being caught.”
The second reason is that korbanot function to cement the relationship between human beings and their Creator. An animal which has been cared for and relies on its owner to provide for it, an animal which understands what it means to belong to someone else, is fitting for a sacrifice. Relationships are built and strengthened by the acts of caring for one another. A carefree fish doesn’t have its needs provided for by humans. A fish does not represent the vulnerability required for a deep and lasting relationship. A fish doesn’t stay to care and be cared for, the fish is always swimming away.
רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא אֲמַר מֵהָכָא: ״וְיִדְגּוּ לָרֹב בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ״, מָה דָּגִים שֶׁבַּיָּם מַיִם מְכַסִּין עֲלֵיהֶם וְאֵין עַיִן הָרָע שׁוֹלֶטֶת בָּהֶם, אַף זַרְעוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף אֵין עַיִן הָרָע שׁוֹלֶטֶת בָּהֶם.
Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina: "and may they multiply [veyidgu] in the midst of the earth” (Genesis 48:16). Veyidgu is related etymologically to the word fish [dag]. Just as the fish in the sea, water covers them and the evil eye has no dominion over them, so too the seed of Joseph, the evil eye has no dominion over them.
(14) You have made humanity like the fish of the sea, Like creeping things that have no ruler. (15) He has fished them all up with a line, Pulled them up in his trawl, And gathered them in his net. That is why he rejoices and is glad. (16) That is why he sacrifices to his trawl And makes offerings to his net; For through them his portion is rich And his nourishment fat.
Rav Yehuda says that Shmuel says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And makes people as the fish of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them” (Habakkuk 1:14)? Why are people compared to the fish of the sea? This serves to say to you: Just as with regard to the fish of the sea, once they arise onto dry land they die immediately; so too, with regard to people, once they separate themselves from studying words of Torah and performing the mitzvot, they die immediately. Alternatively, just as with regard to the fish of the sea, once the sun is heated over them they die immediately, so too with regard to people, once the sun is heated over them they die immediately.
Alternatively, just as in the case of fish of the sea, any fish that is bigger than another swallows the other, so too in the case of people, were it not for the fear of the ruling government, anyone who is bigger than another would swallow the other. And this is as we learned in a mishna (Avot 3:2) that Rabbi Chanina, the deputy High Priest, says: One should pray for the continued welfare of the government, as were it not for the fear of the government, every person would swallow their neighbor alive.
בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן הוּא חֹדֶשׁ נִיסָן וגו' (אסתר ג, ז), תָּנֵי כְּשֶׁאָמַר הָמָן הָרָשָׁע לְאַבֵּד אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, אָמַר הֵיאַךְ אֲנִי שׁוֹלֵט בָּהֶן, הֲרֵינִי מַפִּיל גּוֹרָלוֹת. וְרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ צוֹוַחַת (יואל ד, ג): וְאֶל עַמִּי יַדּוּ גוֹרָל...
עָלָה רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר, וְלֹא מָצָא בּוֹ שׁוּם זְכוּת. הִתְחִיל הָרָשָׁע לִשְׂמֹחַ, חָזַר וּבָדַק בַּמַּזָּלוֹת...
בָּא לוֹ מַזָּל דָּגִים שֶׁהוּא מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בְּחֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר, וְלֹא נִמְצָא לוֹ זְכוּת, וְשָׂמַח מִיָּד וְאָמַר אֲדָר אֵין לוֹ זְכוּת, וּמַזָּלוֹ אֵין לוֹ זְכוּת, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא שֶׁבַּאֲדָר מֵת משֶׁה רַבָּן. וְהוּא לֹא יָדַע שֶׁבְּשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר מֵת משֶׁה וּבְשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר נוֹלַד משֶׁה, וְאָמַר כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהַדָּגִים בּוֹלְעִין כָּךְ אֲנִי בּוֹלֵעַ אוֹתָן. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, רָשָׁע, דָּגִים פְּעָמִים נִבְלָעִין וּפְעָמִים בּוֹלְעִין, וְעַכְשָׁיו אוֹתוֹ הָאִישׁ נִבְלַע מִן הַבּוֹלְעִין. אָמַר רַבִּי חָנָן הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (אסתר ט, א): וְנַהֲפֹךְ הוּא אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁלְטוּ הַיְּהוּדִים הֵמָה בְּשׂנְאֵיהֶם...
“In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Aḥashverosh, he had cast a pur, that is, the lot, before Haman for each day and for each month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar” (Esther 3:7).
“In the first month, that is, the month Nisan” – it is taught: When the wicked Haman sought to eliminate Israel, he said: ‘How can I gain control over them? I will cast lots.’ ...
The possibility of the first of Adar arose, and no merit was found for it. The wicked one began rejoicing.
He then checked the signs of the Zodiac...
He arrived at the sign of Fish [Pisces], that serves during the month of Adar, and no merit was found for it. He immediately rejoiced and said: ‘Adar has no merit and its Zodiac sign has no merit. Not only that, but Moses their teacher died in Adar.’ And he did not know that Moses died on the seventh of Adar and Moses was born on the seventh of Adar. He said: ‘Just as fish swallow, so, I will swallow them.’ The Holy Blessed One said to him: ‘Wicked one, fish sometimes swallow and sometimes are swallowed. Now, this man will be swallowed by the swallowers.’ Rabbi Chanan said: That is what is written: “It was reversed, so that it was the Jews who ruled over their enemies” (Esther 9:1)...
