Reeh 14:7 · unit 1

TT #203 · Parashas Reeh · Fourth Aliyah · Passuk 14:7

The Complete Passuk

אַ֣ךְ אֶת־זֶ֞ה לֹ֤א תֹֽאכְלוּ֙ מִמַּֽעֲלֵ֣י הַגֵּרָ֔ה וּמִמַּפְרִיסֵ֥י הַפַּרְסָ֖ה הַשְּׁסוּעָ֑ה אֶֽת־הַ֠גָּמָ֠ל וְאֶת־הָאַרְנֶ֨בֶת וְאֶת־הַשָּׁפָ֜ן כִּֽי־מַעֲלֵ֧ה גֵרָ֣ה הֵ֗מָּה וּפַרְסָה֙ לֹ֣א הִפְרִ֔יסוּ טְמֵאִ֥ים הֵ֖ם לָכֶֽם׃

But this you shall not eat of those that chew the cud or of those that have the split hoof that is cloven: the camel and the hare and the hyrax, for they chew the cud but do not have a split hoof; they are unclean to you.

Chabad.org — 14:7

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Chullin.

Sefaria — Chullin

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
הַשְּׁסוּעָה – אָמַר רַב חָנָן בַּר רָבָא, הַשְּׁסוּעָה בְּרִיָּה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ הִיא שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ שְׁנֵי גַּבִּין וּשְׁתֵּי שִׁדְרוֹת. וְכִי מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ קַנִּיגִי אוֹ בַּלִּיסְטְרִי הָיָה, אֶלָּא מִכָּאן תְּשׁוּבָה לְאוֹמֵר אֵין תּוֹרָה מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם.

English: “The cloven one” — Rav Chanan bar Rava said: The shesuah is a creature unto itself that has two backs and two spines. Now, was Moshe Rabbeinu a hunter or an archer? Rather, from here is a reply to one who says the Torah is not from Heaven.

On the daf / in context: The Torah’s precise knowledge of a rare anatomical anomaly is cited as evidence of its divine origin.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Chullin) — the shesuah as proof of Torah from Heaven.

What Is Learned

The shesuah is a distinct creature with two backs and two spines; Moshe’s knowledge of it demonstrates that the Torah is from Heaven.