Derasha 117 on Vayikra 11:9

TT #117 · 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

Sifra (Toras Kohanim), Shemini, Section 3.

Sefaria — Sifra, Shemini, Section 3

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text

סְנַפִּיר וְקַשְׂקֶשֶׂת. תַּנְיָא, מִנַּיִן אֲפִלּוּ אִם אֵין לוֹ אֶלָּא סְנַפִּיר אֶחָד וְקַשְׂקֶשֶׂת אַחַת? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר סְנַפִּיר וְקַשְׂקֶשֶׂת.

Type of Learning

Minimum requirement — The paired terms teach that even one fin and one scale are sufficient for the identifying signs.

What Is Learned

A single fin and a single scale can satisfy the signs according to the cited baraita.