Derasha 116 on Vayikra 11:9

TT #116 · 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 66b.

E-Daf.com — Chullin 66b (Tsurras Hadaf)

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text

סְנַפִּיר וְקַשְׂקֶשֶׂת. כָּל שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ קַשְׂקֶשֶׂת יֵשׁ לוֹ סְנַפִּיר, וְיֵשׁ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ סְנַפִּיר וְאֵין לוֹ קַשְׂקֶשֶׂת, וְלִכְתֹּב רַחֲמָנָא קַשְׂקֶשֶׂת וְלֹא בָּעֵי סְנַפִּיר, אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ, יַגְדִּיל תּוֹרָה וְיַאְדִּיר.

Type of Learning

Textual economy — Although every fish with scales also has fins, the Torah writes both signs in order to magnify Torah and make its teaching abundant.

What Is Learned

A fish found with scales does not require a separate search for fins; the Torah nevertheless states both signs.