After ten chapters of detailed halachos about korbanos, Sefer Vayikra takes a sudden turn. Perek 11 shifts the focus to what’s on your plate, to which animals are allowed to be eaten.
At first glance, it seems like a change of subject. But is it?
In the early part of the Perek, Hashem instructs Moshe to tell the Bnei Yisrael, 'These are the creatures that you may eat from...'1 Rashi explains that Moshe physically showed each animal to clarify which ones he was talking about. The Gemara2 adds that Hashem showed every animal to Moshe. This raises questions: Were there animals like polar bears and penguins in the hot desert? What about the fish? How could Moshe access every type of animal there? And what exactly does it mean that Hashem showed each animal to Moshe?
Some suggest that the Torah only lists animals native to the Land of Israel or the desert. It's possible that some of these animals no longer exist or have since migrated to other places.3
Let's explore this idea further, perhaps in …
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