Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 11:18/אבן עזרא על ויקרא י״א:י״ח
אהתנשמת. כל רואהו ישום גם זה השם נמצא בשרצים:
1AND THE HORNED OWL. Whoever looks at the tinshemet (the horned owl) is astonished (yishom). The term tinshemet is also found among the swarming things (v. 30).44 refers to both a bird and a reptile. This is an anomaly which I.E. points out.
בהקאת. יש אומרים שיש עוף מנהג תולדתו להקיא מאכלו:
2AND THE PELICAN. Some say that the ka’at (pelican) is a bird whose nature is to regurgitate (le-haki) its food.
גהרחם. אמר הגאון שהוא בלשון קדר בחלוף חי״ת בכ״ף כי בכתב׳ אות אחד להם והאחרים אמרו שהוא עוף מרחם על בניו:
3AND THE CARRION-VULTURE. The Gaon45 says that the racham (carrion-vulture) is the animal which is similarly called in Arabic,46. with the chet interchanging with a khaf, for they are written with the same letter.47 and khaf are similarly writtten. Others say that racham refers to a bird that has pity (merachem) upon its offspring.