001 - הִלְכוֹת מַאֲכָלוֹת אֲסוּרוֹת פֵּרֶק א

The Laws of Forbidden Foods (Hilchos Ma'achalos Asuros) include twenty-eight mitzvos: four positive mitzvos and twenty-four negative mitzvos. They are, in detail: (1) to check the signs of domestic and wild animals, to distinguish the impure from the pure; (2) to check the signs of birds, to distinguish the impure from the pure; (3) to check the signs of locusts, to distinguish the impure from the pure; (4) to check the signs of fish, to distinguish the impure from the pure; (5) not to eat an impure domestic or wild animal; (6) not to eat an impure bird; (7) not to eat impure fish; (8) not to eat flying creeping creatures; (9) not to eat creeping creatures of the land; (10) not to eat crawling creatures of the land; (11) not to eat a fruit worm once it has come out onto the ground; (12) not to eat creeping creatures of the water; (13) not to eat neveilah; (14) not to benefit from an ox that was stoned; (15) not to eat tereifah; (16) not to eat a limb from a living animal; (17) not to eat blood; (18) not to eat the forbidden fat (chelev) of a pure domestic animal; (19) not to eat the sciatic nerve (gid hanasheh); (20) not to eat meat with milk; (21) not to cook it; (22) not to eat bread of new grain; (23) not to eat roasted kernels of new grain; (24) not to eat fresh kernels of new grain; (25) not to eat orlah; (26) not to eat kilayim of the vineyard; (27) not to eat tevel; (28) not to drink wine of libation.

Laws of Ma'achalos Asuros, Chapter 1

1. It is a positive mitzvah to know the signs by which we distinguish between domestic animals, wild animals, birds, fish and locusts that are permitted to be eaten and those that are not permitted to be eaten, as it says, "וְהִבְדַּלְתֶּם בֵּין-הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּהֹרָה, לַטְּמֵאָה, וּבֵין-הָעוֹף הַטָּמֵא, לַטָּהֹר" ("you shall distinguish between the pure animal and the impure, and between the impure bird and the pure," Vayikra 20:25), and "וּבֵין הַחַיָּה, הַנֶּאֱכֶלֶת, וּבֵין הַחַיָּה, אֲשֶׁר לֹא תֵאָכֵל" ("and between the creature that may be eaten and the creature that may not be eaten," Vayikra 11:47).

2. The signs of domestic and wild animals are stated explicitly in the Torah, and they are two signs: "מַפְרֶסֶת פַּרְסָה" ("it has a split hoof") and "מַעֲלַת גֵּרָה" ("it chews its cud," Vayikra 11:3; Devarim 14:6); both must be present. Every domestic or wild animal that chews its cud has no teeth in its upper jaw. Every domestic animal that chews its cud has a split hoof, except the camel; and every domestic animal that has a split hoof chews its cud, except the pig.

3. Therefore, one who finds an animal in the wilderness and does not recognize it, and finds its hooves cut off, checks its mouth: if it has no upper teeth, it is known to be pure, provided he recognizes a camel. If he found an animal with its mouth cut off, he checks its hooves: if they are split, it is pure, provided he recognizes a pig. If he found its mouth cut off and its legs cut off, he checks it after slaughtering it, under the rump: if he finds that its flesh there runs crosswise, warp and woof, it is pure, provided he recognizes the arod, whose flesh also runs crosswise.

4. A pure animal that gave birth to something resembling an impure animal: even though it does not have a split hoof and does not chew its cud, but is like a horse or a donkey in every respect, it is permitted to be eaten. In what case does this apply? When she gave birth in his presence. But if he left a pregnant cow in his herd, and came back and found something like a pig clinging to her, even though it is nursing from her, this is a case of doubt and it is forbidden to be eaten, for perhaps it was born from an impure animal and attached itself to the pure one.

5. An impure animal that gave birth to something resembling a pure animal: even though it has a split hoof and chews its cud, and is like an ox or a sheep in every respect, it is forbidden to be eaten, for what grows from the impure is impure and what grows from the pure is pure. Therefore, an impure fish found in the innards of a pure fish is forbidden, and a pure fish found in the innards of an impure fish is permitted, because it did not grow from it, but was swallowed by it.

6. A pure animal that gave birth to, or in which was found, a creature with two backs and two spines: it is forbidden to be eaten. This is "הַשְּׁסוּעָה" (the split one) mentioned in the Torah, as it says, "אַךְ אֶת-זֶה לֹא תֹאכְלוּ, מִמַּעֲלֵי הַגֵּרָה, וּמִמַּפְרִיסֵי הַפַּרְסָה, הַשְּׁסוּעָה" ("but these you shall not eat, of those that chew the cud and of those with the split hoof, the split one," Devarim 14:7), meaning a creature born split into two animals.

7. Likewise an animal in which was found the form of a bird: even if it is a pure bird, it is forbidden to be eaten. Of what is found within an animal, only what has a hoof was permitted.

8. Of all the domestic and wild animals in the world, none is permitted to be eaten except the ten species listed in the Torah: three species of domestic animal, namely the ox, the sheep and the goat; and seven species of wild animal, the ayal, the tzvi, the yachmur, the ako, the dishon, the te'o and the zemer. These and their sub-species, such as the wild ox and the fattened ox (meri), which are of the ox species. All ten species and their sub-species chew the cud and have a split hoof; therefore, one who recognizes them need not check either the mouth or the feet.

9. Even though all of them are permitted to be eaten, we must distinguish between a pure domestic animal and a pure wild animal, for the forbidden fat of a wild animal is permitted and its blood requires covering, whereas the forbidden fat of a pure domestic animal carries kares, and its blood does not require covering.

10. The signs of a wild animal are from the oral tradition. Any species that has a split hoof and chews its cud and has branching horns, like the ayal, is certainly a pure wild animal. As for any species whose horns do not branch: if its horns are wound like the horns of an ox, notched like the horns of a goat with the notches absorbed in them, and curved like the horns of a tzvi, it is a pure wild animal, provided the horns have these three signs: wound, notched and curved.

11. In what case does this apply? With a species one does not recognize. But the seven species of wild animal stated in the Torah, if he recognizes them, even if he does not find horns on it, he may eat its fat and is obligated to cover its blood.

12. The wild ox is a species of domestic animal; and the keresh, even though it has only one horn, is a wild animal. Whenever you are in doubt whether something is a species of wild animal or a species of domestic animal, its fat is forbidden, but one does not receive lashes for it, and its blood is covered.

13. The hybrid of a pure domestic animal with a pure wild animal is called a koy: its fat is forbidden, but one does not receive lashes for it, and its blood is covered. An impure species never conceives from a pure species.

14. The signs of a pure bird are not stated explicitly in the Torah; rather, it lists only the impure species, and the other species of bird are permitted. The forbidden species are twenty-four, and they are the following: (1) the nesher; (2) the peres; (3) the ozniyah; (4) the da'ah, which is "הָרָאָה" (the ra'ah, Devarim 14:13) mentioned in Mishneh Torah, that is, Sefer Devarim; (5) the ayah, which is "הַדַּיָּה" (the dayah, ibid.) mentioned in Mishneh Torah; (6) the sub-species of the ayah, for it is written of it "לְמִינָהּ" ("after its kind," Vayikra 11:14), which implies two species; (7) the oreiv; (8) the zarzir, for it says of the oreiv "לְמִינוֹ" ("after its kind," Vayikra 11:15; Devarim 14:14), to include the zarzir; (9) the ya'anah; (10) the tachmas; (11) the shachaf; (12) the netz; (13) the sharnika, which is a sub-species of the netz, for it is written of it "לְמִינֵהוּ" ("after its kind," Vayikra 11:16; Devarim 14:15); (14) the kos; (15) the shalach; (16) the yanshuf; (17) the tinshemes; (18) the ka'as; (19) the racham; (20) the chasidah; (21) the anafah; (22) the sub-species of the anafah, for it says of it "לְמִינָהּ" ("after its kind," Vayikra 11:19; Devarim 14:18); (23) the duchifas; (24) the ataleif. These are twenty-four.

15. Anyone who is expert in these species and their names may eat any bird that is not among them, and it needs no checking. A pure bird may be eaten by tradition, provided it is a settled matter in that place that this is a pure bird. A hunter is believed to say, "My teacher the hunter permitted this bird to me," provided that hunter is established as expert in these species and their names.

16. One who does not recognize them and does not know their names checks by these signs that the Sages gave: any bird that seizes its prey and eats it is known to be of these species and impure. If it does not seize its prey and eat it, and it has one of these three signs, it is a pure bird. They are: an extra toe, or a crop (zefek, also called mur'ah), or a gizzard whose lining peels by hand.

17. For among all these forbidden species there is no species that does not seize its prey and has one of these three signs, except the peres and the ozniyah; and the peres and the ozniyah are not found in settled places, but only in the wildernesses of the very distant islands of the sea, at the end of civilization.

18. If the gizzard peels with a knife and does not peel by hand, and it has no other sign, then even though it does not seize its prey, it is a case of doubt. If it was tough and stuck, and he left it in the sun and it softened and peeled by hand, it is permitted.

19. The Geonim said that they have a tradition not to rule leniently on a bird that comes with one sign, unless that sign is that its gizzard peels by hand. But if it does not peel by hand, even if it has a crop or an extra toe, they have never permitted it.

20. Any bird that divides its toes when a cord is stretched out for it, two to one side and two to the other, or that catches food in the air and eats in the air, is a predator and impure. Whatever dwells among the impure birds and resembles them is impure.

21. The species of locust that the Torah permitted are eight, and they are the following: (1) the chagav; (2) the sub-species of the chagav, which is the duvnis; (3) the chargol; (4) the sub-species of the chargol, which is the atzroniya; (5) the arbeh; (6) the sub-species of the arbeh, which is the tziporas keramim; (7) the sal'am; (8) the sub-species of the sal'am, which is the Yochanah Yerushalmis.

22. One who is expert in them and their names may eat them, and a hunter is believed about them as with birds. One who is not expert checks by the signs, and they have three signs: whatever has four legs, four wings that cover most of the length of its body and most of its circumference, and two jumping legs with which to hop, is a pure species. Even if its head is long and it has a tail, if its name is chagav, it is pure.

23. One that does not now have wings or jumping legs, or does not have wings that cover most of it, but will grow them later when it matures, is permitted right now.

24. Fish have two signs, fins and scales. Fins are what it swims with, and scales are what is attached all over its body. Whatever has scales has fins. If it does not have them now, but will have them when it matures, or if it has scales while it is in the sea, and when it comes up it sheds its scales, it is permitted. One whose scales do not cover all of it is permitted; even if it has only one fin and one scale, it is permitted.