Clean and Unclean Animals
Deuteronomy and Leviticus state that any animal which chews the cud and has a cloven hoof is ritually clean, but animals that only chew the cud or only have cloven hooves are not. The texts identify four animals in particular as being unclean for this reason; the hare, hyrax, camel, and pig — although the camel ruminates and has two toes, and the hare and hyrax are coprophages rather than ruminants.
The Torah lists winged creatures which may not be consumed, mainly birds of prey, fish-eating water-birds, and bats. Leviticus and Deuteronomy state that anything residing in "the waters" (seas and rivers) is ritually clean only if it has both fins and scales.
Leviticus states that every creeping thing that crawls the earth is unclean (Hebrew: sheqets). However, a bug born inside a fruit may be eaten if it has never crawled on the ground. All "flying creeping things" are also considered ritually unclean, according to both Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Leviticus lists four exceptions, including locusts.
Read more about this topic: Kosher Foods
Famous quotes containing the words clean and, clean, unclean and/or animals:
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—S.J. Perelman, U.S. screenwriter, Arthur Sheekman, Will Johnstone, and Norman Z. McLeod. Groucho Marx, Monkey Business, a wisecrack made while trying to woo Lucille Briggs (Thelma Todd)
“There are other measures of self-respect for a man, than the number of clean shirts he puts on every day.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“An unclean person is universally a slothful one.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Lost at night in an immense forest, I only have a small light to guide me. A man appears who tells me: “My friend, blow out your candle in order to find your way.” This man is a theologian.
The sea, fluid garden filled with animals and plants.”
—Alfred Döblin (1878–1957)