Derasha 115 on Vayikra 11:9

TT #115 · Parshas Shemini · Aliyah 6 · Passuk 9

The Complete Passuk

אֶת־זֶה֙ תֹּֽאכְל֔וּ מִכֹּ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּמָּ֑יִם כֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ֩ סְנַפִּ֨יר וְקַשְׂקֶ֜שֶׂת בַּמַּ֗יִם בַּיַּמִּ֛ים וּבַנְּחָלִ֖ים אֹתָ֥ם תֹּאכֵֽלוּ:

English: These you may eat among all that live in water: anything in the water, whether in the seas or in the streams, that has fins and scales—these you may eat.

Source Citation

Chullin 59a.

E-Daf.com — Chullin 59a (Tsurras Hadaf)

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text

סְנַפִּיר וְקַשְׂקֶשֶׂת. מַהוּ סְנַפִּיר וּמַהוּ קַשְׂקֶשֶׂת? סְנַפִּיר הַפּוֹרֵחַ בָּהֶן, קַשְׂקֶשֶׂת הַקְּבוּעָה בּוֹ.

Type of Learning

Definition — “Fin” is the swimming appendage, while “scale” is the fixed covering attached to the creature.

What Is Learned

The two fish signs are defined as the fin that propels the fish and the fixed scales.