Page 28 - Vayikra_ebook-RB-170316-V24102t

28
The Book of Leviticus – ‫חומש ויקרא‬

Torah Portion Shemini

In the Torah portion of Shemini the Torah discusses kosher animals that it is
permitted for the Children of Israel to eat, and impure animals that it is
prohibited to eat.

One of the animals that it is prohibited to eat is a bird called the da'ah:

"And these you shall detest from the birds; they shall not be eaten,
they are a detestable thing: the nesher and the peres and the ozniah
and the da'ah and the ayah according to its kind." (11:14)

It is interesting to note that this bird is called in the book of Devarim a "ra'ah"
and not a "da'ah":

"And this is which you shall not eat from them: the nesher and the
peres and the ozniah and the ra'ah and the ayah and the dayah
according to its kind." (Devarim 14:13)

Our Sages say about this bird that is called "da'ah" and also "ra'ah", that it has
an incredible sense of vision – it sees very far. The ra'ah is able to hover (lid'ot)
in Babylonia and to see (lir'ot) a carcass (allegorically meaning: negative things)
in Israel.

Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin said about this: the ra'ah bird has an ability to see far
distances. But he uses this ability to see carcasses and especially to see
carcasses in the Holy Land – therefore the Torah puts it in the category of
impure birds.

This principle should guide us – says Rabbi Sorotzkin – about the people who
are found in the far lands of the Diaspora and criticize the Holy Land, that this is
similar to a bird which is found in Babylonia and sees a carcass in Israel.

All right reserved to Yoel & Orly Ganor