Pt3 Permitted and Prohibited Birds, Based on the lists of Non-kosher Birds in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 (Chullin 61b-63b)

This is the third part of a four-part series. Part 1 is here; Part 2 is here; the outline of the series can be found at Part 1.

Rav Yehuda - Shalakh (שלך - list item #17 in Leviticus 11) is the bird that scoops fish from the sea; dukhifat (דוכיפת - list item #19 in Leviticus 11) is the bird whose comb appears bent - Leviticus 11:17; Leviticus 11:19

אמר רב יהודה:

1. ״שלך״,

   1. זה השולה דגים מן הים.

2. ״דוכיפת״,

   1. שהודו כפות.

Rav Yehuda says:

1. As for the shalakh, listed as a non-kosher bird (see Leviticus 11:17),

   1. this is the bird that scoops [שולה - sholeh] fish out of the sea.¹

2. The dukhifat (see Leviticus 11:19)

   1. is the bird whose comb seems bent [hodo kafut] due to its thickness.

Baraita - Dukhifat is the bird with a bent-looking comb, and it brought the shamir to the Temple - I Kings 6:7

תניא נמי הכי:

דוכיפת --

שהודו כפות,

וזהו שהביא שמיר לבית המקדש.

The Talmud notes: This is also taught in a baraita:

The dukhifat --

is the bird whose comb seems bent,

and this is the bird that brought the shamir to the Temple.²

Anecdote - R’ Yoḥanan on seeing a shalakh, would recite “Your judgments are like the great deep”; on seeing an ant, “Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains” - Psalms 36:7

רבי יוחנן,

1. כי הוה חזי שלך,

   1. אמר: ״משפטיך תהום רבה״.

2. כי הוה חזי נמלה,

   1. אמר: ״צדקתך כהררי אל״.

The Talmud recounts:

R’ Yoḥanan

1. When he would see a shalakh,

   1. he would say: “Your judgments are like the great deep” (Psalms 36:7),

   2. as God exacts retribution even upon the fish in the sea.

2. When he would see an ant,

   1. he would say the first half of the same verse: “Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,”

   2. as God provides sustenance for the tiny ant just as He does for the largest creatures.

Ameimar - Laknei and batnei birds are permitted

אמר אמימר:

1. לקני

2. ובטני –

שריין,

Ameimar says:

The

1. laknei

2. and batnei

birds --

are permitted.

Sakna’ei and batna’ei birds depend on local custom: permitted where peres and ozniyya are absent, forbidden where they are present

1. שקנאי

2. ובטנאי –

• מקום שנהגו לאכול

  • אוכלין,

• מקום שנהגו שלא לאכול

  • אין אוכלין.

[...]

As for the

1. sakna’ei

2. and batna’ei

birds --

• in any place that it is customary to eat them,

  • one may eat them;

• in any place that it is customary not to eat them,

  • one may not eat them.

[...]

Abaye - Kevai and kakvai are forbidden; kakvata is permitted

אמר אביי:

• קואי וקקואי

  • אסירי,

• קקואתא

  • שריא.

Abaye says:

• The birds called kevai and kakvai

  • are forbidden,

• but the kakvata

  • is permitted.

In Eretz Yisrael they flogged for eating kakvata, and called it taḥveta

במערבא מלקו עילוה,

וקרו לה תחוותא.

Still, in the West, Eretz Yisrael, they flog one who eats it on its account,

and they call it taḥveta.

Baraita - The tinshemet (תנשמת - list item #14 in Leviticus 11) among birds is the ba’ut among birds - Leviticus 11:18

תנו רבנן:

״תנשמת״ --

באות שבעופות.

A baraita states:

The tinshemet, listed in the Torah as non-kosher (see Leviticus 11:18) --

is the ba’ut³ among birds.

Not creeping animal, derived from the biblical context

אתה אומר באות שבעופות,

או אינו אלא באות שבשרצים?

One might ask: Do you say that it is the ba’ut among birds,

or is it only the ba’ut among creeping animals (שרצים)?

The tinshemet is also listed among the creeping animals (see Leviticus 11:30).

אמרת:

צא ולמד משלש עשרה מדות שהתורה נדרשת בהן,

דבר הלמד מענינו.

• במה הכתוב מדבר?

  • בעופות,

• אף כאן

  • בעופות.

Say:

Go out and learn from the 13 hermeneutical principles (שלש עשרה מדות שהתורה נדרשת בהן),

of which one is: A matter derived from its context.

• What are the adjacent verses speaking about?

  • They are speaking about birds.

• So too here,

  • the word tinshemet is referring to birds.

Baraita - The tinshemet among creeping animals is the ba’ut among creeping animals - Leviticus 11:30

תניא נמי גבי שרצים כהאי גוונא:

״תנשמת״ --

באות שבשרצים.

The Talmud notes: It is also taught in a baraita in this way with regard to the tinshemet listed among the creeping animals:

The tinshemet here --

is the ba’ut among creeping animals.

derived from context

אתה אומר באות שבשרצים,

או אינו אלא באות שבעופות?

One might ask:

Do you say that it is the ba’ut among creeping animals,

or it is only the ba’ut among birds?

אמרת:

צא ולמד משלש עשרה מדות שהתורה נדרשת בהן,

דבר הלמד מענינו –

• במה הכתוב מדבר?

  • בשרצים,

• אף כאן

  • בשרצים.

Say:

Go out and learn from the 13 hermeneutical principles,

of which one is: A matter derived from its context.

• What are the adjacent verses speaking about?

  • They are speaking about creeping animals.

• So too here,

  • the word tinshemet is referring to creeping animals.

Abaye - The bird-ba’ut is the kifof; the creeping-animal-ba’ut is the kurpedai

אמר אביי:

1. באות שבעופות –

   1. קיפוף,

2. באות שבשרצים –

   1. קורפדאי.

Abaye says:

1. The ba’ut among birds

   1. is commonly called the kifof.⁴

2. The ba’ut among creeping animals

   1. is commonly called the kurpedai.⁵

Rav Yehuda - Ka’at (קאת - list item #15 in Leviticus 11) is the kuk; raḥam (רחם - list item #16 in Leviticus 11) is the sherakrak - Leviticus 11:18

אמר רב יהודה:

1. ״קאת״ –

   1. זו הקוק,

2. ״רחם״ –

   1. זו שרקרק.

Rav Yehuda says:

1. As for the ka’at listed in the Torah as non-kosher (see Leviticus 11:18),

   1. this is the bird called a kuk.⁶

2. As for the raḥam,

   1. this is the sherakrak.⁷

R’ Yoḥanan - The raḥam is so called because when it comes, mercy comes to the world

(See footnote.)⁸

אמר רבי יוחנן:

למה נקרא שמו רחם?

כיון שבא רחם --

באו רחמים לעולם.

R’ Yoḥanan says:

Why is it called the raḥam?

Because when the raḥam comes to Eretz Yisrael --

mercy [raḥamim] comes to the world,

as it appears at the beginning of the winter.

Rav Beivai bar Abaye - The raḥam signals rain when it sits on something and cries “sherakrak”

אמר רב ביבי בר אביי:

והוא דיתיב אמידי ועביד ״שרקרק״,

Rav Beivai bar Abaye said:

And it is a sign of rain only when it sits on something and makes a sherakrak sound.

If it sits on the ground and hisses, it signals the Messiah’s coming

וגמירי

דאי יתיב אארעא ושריק –

אתא משיחא,

And it is learned as a tradition that

if it sits on the ground and hisses [ve-shareik] --

this is a sign that the Messiah is coming,

Prooftext - Zechariah 10:8

שנאמר:

״אשרקה להם

ואקבצם״.

as it is stated:

“I will hiss [eshreka] for them,

and gather them” (Zechariah 10:8).

Mar bar Rav Idai & Rav Adda bar Shimi - A raḥam falsely signaled messianic arrival, was killed was punished as a liar

אמר ליה רב אדא בר שימי למר בר רב אידאי:

והא ההוא דיתיב בי כרבא ושרק,

ואתא גלל אפסקיה למוחיה!

אמר ליה:

ההוא ביידא הוה.

Rav Adda bar Shimi said to Mar bar Rav Idai:

But wasn’t there a certain raḥam that sat on a plowed field and hissed,

and a stone came and broke its head?

Mar bar Rav Idai said to him:

That raḥam was a liar and was punished for prophesying falsely.

1. The modern Hebrew word shaldag (“kingfisher‏‏‏‏“) is based on this passage, see Hebrew Wiktionary, “שלדג“, section “גיזרון“.

2. Steinsaltz explains:

As recounted in tractate Gittin (68b), King Solomon required a unique worm called the shamir to carve stones of the Temple, as the verse states: “There was neither hammer nor ax nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building” (I Kings 6:7).

On this story, see my three-part series, “Solomon, Ashmedai, and the Shamir: Demonology, Temple-Building, and the Reversal of Royal Power (Gittin 68a-b)“ final part here: Pt3.

3. באות.

On this word, see Jastrow (modernized), entry “בָּאוָת”:

(בּיּת; compare Latin noctua [=“owl”])

1) night-bird, owl (for תִּנְשֶׁמֶת Leviticus 11:18).

• Chullin 63a:9 - בא׳ שבעופות (Arukh בואת) - “the bavath among the birds”

2) groper in the dark, mole or salamander (for תנשמת Leviticus 11:30).

• Ibid. - ב׳ שבשרצים - “the bavath among the reptiles”

• [Targum Onkelos for 1): בָּוְתָא; for 2): אָשׁוּתָא q. see; see also סַלְמַנְדְּרָא.

Variant in Targum Onkelos to Leviticus 11:18 בבתא, בּוֹתָא, כַּוְתָא, כּוֹסָא, see Berliner Targum Onkelos II, p. 34.]

4. קיפוף.

On this word, see Jastrow (modernized), entry “קִיפּוֹף”:

1) (compare קוֹף II) long-tailed ape (cercopithacus).

• Bekhorot 8a, see קוֹף II.

• Berakhot 57b Manuscript Munich: (ed. קִיפּוֹד, קִפּוֹד).

• Berakhot 58b (Rashi: a species of owls).

2) a species of owls.

• Chullin 63a:9 באות שבעופות ק׳ the bâvath among the birds is the ḳippof (see next w.).

For the passage in Berakhot 58b, see Berakhot/58b#10:

תנו רבנן:

הרואה

1. פיל,

2. קוף

3. וקפוף,

אומר:

״ברוך … משנה את הבריות״

A baraita states:

One who sees

1. an elephant,

2. a monkey,

3. or a vulture (Rashi)

recites:

“Blessed…Who makes creatures different.” (ברוך … משנה את הבריות)

ראה

1. בריות טובות,

2. ואילנות טובות,

אומר:

״ברוך … שככה לו בעולמו״.

One who saw

1. beautiful or otherwise outstanding creatures

2. or beautiful trees

recites:

“Blessed…Who has such things in His world.” (ברוך … שככה לו בעולמו)

For more on the blessing of “Who makes creatures different”, see my ““Unusual In His Skin”: Talmudic Discourse on the Cushi and other Types of People With Notable Physical Appearances (Berakhot 58b and Moed Katan 16b)“, section “Types of People With Notable Physical Appearances and Disabilities (Berakhot 58b)“, and the note there.

5. קורפדאי.

On this word, see Jastrow (modernized), entry “קוּרְפְּדַאי”:

(compare קוּפָּד)

mole.

• Chullin 63a:9 - באות … ק׳ (Arukh קַרְפְּ׳; Manuscript Rome: 1 קרופ׳), see בָּאוָת.

• Berakhot 57b - [read:] כל מיני שרצים יפין לחלום חוץ מק׳ (Manuscript Munich: קוּפְּדַאי, printed edition: קורפראי, see Rabbinowicz, ‘Dikdukei Sofrim’ there, note 8) - “dreams of all kinds of creeping things, except moles, are auspicious”

6. קוק.

On this word, see Jastrow (modernized), entry “קִיק I”:

(reduplication of קא; compare קָאַת)

name of a bird, pelican.

• Chullin 63a:9 קאת זה הק׳ Manuscript Munich: (ed. הקוק, see Rabbinowicz, ‘Dikdukei Sofrim’ there, note), the Biblical ḳaath is the modern ḳiḳ, see קָאַת;

• Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 537:11 הקוק;

• Jerusalem Talmud Shabbat 2:1:10.

• Yoma 2a (referring to שמן קיק Mishnah Shabbat 2:1) עוף הוא ושמו ק׳ it is a bird whose name is ḳiḳ. [For other opinions on the meaning of שמן ק׳, see קָאוָא, קִיסוֹסָא, קִיקָיוֹן.]

7. שרקרק.

On this word, see Jastrow (modernized), entry “רַקְרַק”:

raḳraḳ, imitation of a bird’s shriek.

• Chullin 63a Arukh, see שְׁרַק I.

And ibid., entry “שְׁרַקְרַק”:

1) (שְׁרַק III, compare יְרַקְרֵיקָא; popular etymology from שְׁרַק I, q. see)

name of an unclean bird, gier-eagle or vulture.

• Chullin 63a:10 (Manuscript Rome: 2 a. 3 שְׁרִיקְרִיק, see Rabbinowicz, ‘Dikdukei Sofrim’ there, note 30), see רָחָם; Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 537:11 שרקריק.

2) sh’raḳraḳ, the sound produced by the bird sh’raḳraḳ.

• Hullin see above ועביד ש׳ (Manuscript Munich: שריקריק; Arukh ושריק רקרק);

• Yalkut see above ועביד שרקריק.

Hebrew sharak means “whistle”, see the next passages, and see Hebrew Wiktionary, “שרק“. Likely ultimately imitative/onomatopoeic, compare English shriek and screech.

8. I cite this passage in my ““Why Was He Called Thus?”: An Anthology of Talmudic Passages Relating to Explanations of Biblical Names, Unification of Ostensibly Separate Biblical Personalities, and Etymologies of Biblical Words“, p. 27. And see my intro there, that “R’ Yochanan, Rav/Shmuel […], R’ Meir, and “The School of R’ Yishmael” are especially cited as making these statements.”