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Ramban on Leviticus 11:13/רמב"ן על ויקרא י״א:י״ג

אוְאֶת אֵלֶּה תְּשַׁקְּצוּ מִן הָעוֹף - לֹא נֶאֶסְרוּ מִכָּל הָעוֹפוֹת אֶלָּא אֵלּוּ הַנִּזְכָּרִים בְּפָרָשָׁה זוֹ בִּלְבַד עִם מִינֵיהֶם, כְּאוֹתָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּהֶם "לְמִינוֹ" וּ"לְמִינָהּ". כִּי הַכָּתוּב לֹא הִזְכִּיר סִימָן בְּעוֹף טָמֵא לְאִסּוּר אוֹ בְּטָהוֹר לְהֶתֵּר, אֲבָל אָמַר "וְאֶת אֵלֶּה תְּשַׁקְּצוּ מִן הָעוֹף", לֹא אֲחֵרִים מִלְּבַד אֵלֶּה. וְכֵן בַּשְּׁרָצִים הַמְּטַמְּאִים שֶׁהִזְכִּירָם בִּפְרָט (להלן פסוקים כט-ל), אֵינָן בַּדִּין הַזֶּה בִּלְתִּי אֵלֶּה הַנְּקוּבִים בַּפָּרָשָׁה בְּשֵׁמוֹת. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ לָמְדוּ סִימָנִים בָּעוֹפוֹת (חלין נט), וְהֵן לְהַכִּיר בָּהֶן שֶׁאֵין בַּעַל אוֹתָן הַסִּימָנִין מִן הַמִּינִין הָאֵלֶּה הָאֲסוּרִים. וְהַסִּימָן הַגָּדוֹל בָּעוֹפוֹת הִיא הַדְּרִיסָה, שֶׁכָּל עוֹף הַדּוֹרֵס לְעוֹלָם טָמֵא, כִּי הַתּוֹרָה הִרְחִיקַתְהוּ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁדָּמוֹ מְחֻמָּם לְאַכְזָרִיּוּתוֹ וְשָׁחוֹר וְגַס, וּמוֹלִיד הַמְּרֵרָה הַשְּׂרוּפָה הַשְּׁחַרְחֹרֶת, וְנוֹתֵן אַכְזָרִיּוּת בַּלֵּב. וְאֵין בְּכָל הָעוֹלָם עוֹף שֶׁיִּדְרֹס מִלְּבַד הַנִּזְכָּרִים בַּפָּרָשָׁה. וְהִנֵּה כָּל עוֹף שֶׁיִּדְרֹס נֵדַע שֶׁהוּא מֵאֵלּוּ הַנִּזְכָּרִים, וְאִם בְּיָדוּעַ שֶׁאֵינוֹ דּוֹרֵס וַדַּאי מֻתָּר, שֶׁאֵין בְּכָל הָאֲסוּרִים עוֹף שֶׁאֵינוֹ דּוֹרֵס זוּלָתִי אֶחָד, וְהוּא פֶּרֶס אוֹ עָזְנִיָּה. וְלֹא חָשׁוּ לוֹ חֲכָמִים מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מָצוּי בַּיִּשּׁוּב (חולין סב), אֶלָּא בַּמִּדְבָּרוֹת הוּא שׁוֹכֵן תָּמִיד. וְאוּלַי מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא שׁוֹכֵן בָּחֳרָבוֹת דָּמוֹ נִשְׂרָף וְרַע כַּדּוֹרְסִין, וַאֲסָרַתּוּ תּוֹרָה עִמָּהֶם. וְעוֹד מָנוּ חֲכָמִים בַּסִּימָנִין, שֶׁאִם נִמְצָא עוֹף שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ אֶצְבַּע יְתֵרָה וְזֶפֶק וְקֻרְקְבָן נִקְלָף, בְּיָדוּעַ שֶׁטָּהוֹר הוּא, כִּי יָדוּעַ לָהֶם שֶׁאֵינוֹ דּוֹרֵס. אֲבָל כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ שְׁנֵי סִימָנִין מִן הַשְּׁלֹשָׁה הַנִּזְכָּרִים נֶאֱסֹר אוֹתוֹ, כִּי הָעוֹרֵב יֵשׁ בּוֹ אֶצְבַּע יְתֵרָה וְקֻרְקְבָן נִקְלָף, וְאָנוּ חוֹשְׁשִׁין לוֹ וּלְמִינָיו שֶׁהֵם כֻּלָּם בַּעֲלֵי שְׁנֵי סִימָנִין. וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר שֶׁאִם לֹא הָיָה לוֹ אֶלָּא סִימָן אֶחָד מִן הַשְּׁלֹשָׁה הָאֵלּוּ הַנִּזְכָּרִים שֶׁנֶּאֱסֹר אוֹתוֹ, כִּי שְׁאָר הָעוֹפוֹת הָאֲסוּרִין כֻּלָּן כָּךְ הֵם בְּסִימָן אֶחָד, בִּלְתִּי הַנֶּשֶׁר שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ אֶחָד מִכָּל אֵלּוּ הַשְּׁלֹשָׁה. וְעִנְיַן הַדְּרִיסָה הוּא הַצָּד צַיִד, שֶׁיִּרְדֹּף הָעוֹפוֹת וְיִתְפְּשֵׂם חַיִּים וְיִדְרְסֵם בְּיָדָיו וְיֹאכַל אוֹתָם, כַּאֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה הַנֵּץ הַגַּס הַנִּקְרָא אסטו"ר וְהַנֵּץ הַדַּק הַנִּקְרָא אשפרוי"ר בְּלַעַ"ז, וּבַעֲרָבִי ביץ. וְזֶה מִשְׁפַּט הָעוֹפוֹת בְּאִסּוּרָם וְהֶתֵּרָם עַל הַדֶּרֶךְ הַנָּכוֹן וְהַמִּתְחַוֵּר בַּגְּמָרָא, וַאֲשֶׁר חֲקַרְנוּהוּ וּמְצָאנוּהוּ כֵּן בִּבְדִיקַת הָעוֹפוֹת. וְהִנֵּה טַעַם הָאִסּוּר בָּעוֹפוֹת מִפְּנֵי אַכְזָרִיּוּת תּוֹלְדֹתָם. וְהַבְּהֵמוֹת יִתָּכֵן שֶׁיִּהְיוּ כֵן מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵין בְּבַעֲלֵי הַגֵּרָה וְהַפַּרְסָה הַשְּׁסוּעָה דּוֹרֵס, וְהַשְּׁאָר כֻּלָּם יִטְרֹפוּ. וְהִנֵּה נִמְצָא בְּתוֹלְדֹתָם שִׁנּוּי מַה שֶׁהִזְכִּירוּ חֲכָמִים (ע"ז לה) שֶׁכָּל חֲלֵב הַטְּהוֹרִים עוֹמֵד וַחֲלֵב הַטְּמֵאִים כֻּלָּם אֵינֶנּוּ נִקְפָּא וְלֹא יִתְגַּבֵּן לְעוֹלָם, וְהִנֵּה הֵם מְשֻׁנִּים. וְיִתָּכֵן מִזֶּה שֶׁיַּזִּיקוּ בְּאֵבְרֵי הַזֶּרַע, וְיִהְיֶה הַזֶּרַע הַמִּתְאַסֵּף מִן הַלֵּחָה שֶׁבָּהֶם קָרָה וְלַחָה, וְלֹא תּוֹלִיד כְּלָל אוֹ לֹא תּוֹלִיד בְּטוֹב וְנָכוֹן. מִלְּבַד שֶׁיֵּשׁ בַּמֻּתָּרִים טוֹבָה יְדוּעָה בְּדֶרֶךְ הָרְפוּאוֹת. וְרָאִיתִי בִּקְצָת סִפְרֵי הַנִּסְיוֹנוֹת שֶׁחֲלֵב הַחֲזִיר אִם יִינַק הַיּוֹנֵק מִמֶּנּוּ יִהְיֶה אוֹתוֹ הַנַּעַר מְצֹרָע. וְזֶה לְאוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּכֻלָּם סְגֻלּוֹת רָעוֹת מְאֹד:

1AND THESE YE SHALL HAVE IN DETESTATION AMONG THE FOWLS. Of all fowls [existent], only those mentioned expressly in this section and their species — such as those concerning which it says, after his kind,²⁰⁸ or after her kind²⁰⁹ — are prohibited, since Scripture did not mention any signs of unclean birds [by which we may know that they are] forbidden, or of clean birds [by which we may know that they are] permitted. Instead, it said, And these ye shall have in detestation among the fowls — [so that only those specifically mentioned are prohibited], and no others apart from these. Similarly, in connection with the swarming things which convey impurity, which Scripture mentioned in detail,²¹⁰ only those mentioned by name in the section are included in that law. Our Rabbis, however, have specified certain signs [of impurity as food] in birds, so that one may recognize through them that the fowls which lack those signs are not amongst those which are prohibited [here].Now the most important sign [of unfitness as food] in fowls is preying, for every bird of prey²¹¹) interprets it as a bird of prey that kills by attacking with its claws. Further on in the text here Ramban will also elaborate on this characteristic. is invariably unfit [as food]. The Torah removed it [from us] as food, because its blood becomes heated up due to its cruelty, and is dark and thick, which gives rise to that bitter [fluid in the body] which is mostly black²¹² Note 264. and tends to make the heart cruel. There is not another fowl in the whole world that is a bird of prey apart from those mentioned in this section,²¹³ and therefore one may know that any fowl which is a bird of prey, is one of those mentioned here. Thus if it is known for sure that it does not prey, it may definitely be eaten, for amongst all the forbidden fowls, there is only one which does not prey, namely the bearded vulture or the osprey, and the Sages were not concerned about it [being eaten because of reliance on the fact that it does not prey], since it is not found in habitated places, but dwells always in wilderness. Perhaps it is because it dwells in wastelands and its blood is affected for the worse by the burning heat, like that of the birds of prey, that the Torah prohibited it as food together with them.The Sages furthermore counted¹⁸⁶ amongst the signs [of fitness as food] that if a fowl be found which has an “extra” toe, and its crop and gizzard can be peeled, it is definitely fit [to be eaten], for the Sages knew that such a bird does not prey. But if it has only two of the three signs mentioned, we may not eat it; for the raven [which is a bird unfit as food, as stated in Verse 15], has an extra toe and a gizzard that can be peeled, and [therefore any bird that has only two signs of fitness] we suspect of being a raven or of its species, since they all have two tokens. It does not need to be said that if it has only one of the three signs mentioned we treat it as forbidden, for all the other forbidden fowls have one sign, except for the great vulture which has none of these three signs. Now the meaning of the term “preying” is that in hunting for food it chases after birds, catches them alive, presses on them with its claws and eats them, just as is done by the great hawk called astur, and the little hawk called ashproir,²¹⁴ (the hawk): Espervier in old French; in English, sparrow-hawk (see Rosenbaum-Silberman’s translation). and in Arabic, butz. The above is the correct law of birds, as to which are forbidden food and which are permitted, and that which is the final result of the [discussions in the] Gemara, and is in accordance with that which we have searched and found to be so through the examination of birds.²¹⁵Thus the reason for certain birds being forbidden as food is on account of their cruel nature. It is also possible that the reason for certain animals [being forbidden] is similar, since no animal that chews the cud and has a parted hoof is a beast of prey, while the rest all devour others. There has also been found a difference in nature [between animals fit for food and those which are unfit], as the Sages have mentioned,²¹⁶ namely that all milks of animals fit for food, curdle, whereas all milks of those unfit for food, do not coagulate and cannot ever be made into cheese. Thus they are [physically] different. It is possible to say on the basis of this [difference in their natures, that those animals unfit for food] harm the procreative organs, so that the seed which gathers from their moisture is cold and extra-moist and will not beget at all, or not in the best and proper way, apart from the fact that there is a certain known benefit according to medical sciences [in eating those] animals that are permitted [by the Torah] as food. Now I have seen in some books of experiments²¹⁷ that if an infant drinks of the milk of a swine, that child will become a leper. This is a sign that there are very bad features to all unclean animals.