Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Leviticus 11:10/רמב"ן על ויקרא י״א:י׳
אמִכֹּל שֶׁרֶץ הַמַּיִם - אָמַר ר"א (אבן עזרא על ויקרא י"א:י') כִּי "שֶׁרֶץ" הַקְּטַנִּים שֶׁיִּבָּרְאוּ מִן הַמַּיִם, וְ"נֶפֶשׁ הַחַיָּה" מִזָּכָר וּנְקֵבָה. וּלְפִי דַּעְתִּי כִּי שֶׁרֶץ הַמַּיִם כְּלָל לַדָּגִים הַשָּׁטִים בַּמַּיִם, כִּי כָל לְשׁוֹן שְׁרִיצָה תְּנוּעָה. "וּמִכֹּל נֶפֶשׁ הַחַיָּה" הֵם חַיּוֹת שֶׁבַּיָּם שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם רַגְלַיִם וְהוֹלְכוֹת עֲלֵיהֶם כְּחַיּוֹת הַשָּׂדֶה. וְהִנֵּה לְכֻלָּם דִּין אֶחָד. וּמִדְרַשׁ ת"כ (פרשה ג ז): "חַיָּה" - זוֹ חַיַּת הַיָּם, "נֶפֶשׁ" - לְהָבִיא בֶּן הַסִּירָנִי. יָכוֹל יְהֵא מְטַמֵּא בְּאֹהֶל כְּדִבְרֵי בֶּן חֲכִינַאי? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר "שֶׁקֶץ".
1OF ALL THAT SWARM (‘SHERETZ’) IN THE WATERS, AND OF ALL THE LIVING CREATURES THAT ARE IN THE WATERS. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote that sheretz (“swarming” things) are the small species that are born [and bred] in the waters, while “the living creatures” are the species of male and female. But in my opinion the term ‘sheretz’ that swarm in the waters denotes the fish which swim in the waters, for every expression of sheretz means movement, and the term all the living creatures that are in the waters, refers to the sea-animals, some of which have legs which they walk upon like creatures of the field. Thus there is one law alike for all of them [namely that those which do not have fins and scales are forbidden to be eaten]. The interpretation of the Torath Kohanim is:194 4:7. “Living, this denotes the sea-animal. Creature, this includes the siren. I might think that its carcass conveys impurity in a tent [like that of a human body], as Ben Chachinai indeed says? Scripture therefore says [in the verse before us], they are detestable” [as food, but they do not convey impurity to a person who comes into the tent where their carcass lies].195