Reeh 14:10 · EXTRA 1

EXTRA · Parashas Reeh · Fourth Aliyah · Passuk 14:10

Supplementary classical material for a passuk with no Torah Temimah citation.

The Complete Passuk

וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר אֵין־לוֹ סְנַפִּיר וְקַשְׂקֶשֶׂת לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ טָמֵא הוּא לָכֶם׃

But anything that does not have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean for you.

Chabad.org — 14:10

Source Citation

Classical source: Niddah 51b.

Sefaria — Niddah 51b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר אֵין לוֹ סְנַפִּיר וְקַשְׂקֶשֶׂת לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ — אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר סְנַפִּיר? לְהַרְבּוֹת תּוֹרָה וּלְהַגְדִּילָהּ.

English: “Anything that does not have fins and scales you shall not eat” — if so, why does Scripture mention fins? In order to increase and magnify the Torah.

On the daf / in context: Since scales already imply fins, the extra word is understood as intentional expansion of the Torah’s language.

Type of Learning

Derash on the apparent redundancy (Niddah) — the second sign is retained to enlarge Torah.

What Is Learned

Even when one sign would have sufficed, the Torah states both so that Torah itself is increased and made great.