Kommentar zu Wajikra 20:25

והבדלתם בין הבהמה הטהרה לטמאה YE SHALL THEREFORE DISTINGUISH BETWEEN CLEAN BEASTS AND UNCLEAN — It is needless for Scripture to say that one should distinguish between a cow and an ass for these are different and are therefore distinguishable. But it means: you shall distinguish between such an animal as is clean (permitted) to you and such as is unclean (forbidden) to you although it is a clean animal per se, i.e., make a distinction between an animal which has been killed by cutting at least the greater part of each organ (the gullet and the windpipe) or whether it has been killed by cutting exactly the half of each organ. And how much difference is there between the greater part and the exact half? A hair’s breadth only (and consequently the command is given: והבדלתם, “you shall very carefully distinguish”) (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 12 20; cf. also Rashi on Leviticus 11:47 and Chullin 27a).

ולא תשקצו את נפשותיכם בבהמה ובעוף ובכל אשר תרמוש האדמה, from all kinds of “impure” living creatures אשר הבדלתי לכם, from the ritually “pure.”

Pure for you. Explanation: Pure or impure through your action. For example, if one slaughtered the whole gullet and only half the windpipe it is impure; if one slaughtered the whole gullet and most of the windpipe it is pure. I.e., you made it pure for eating.

'והבדלתם בין הבהמה הטהורה לטמאה, וגו, “you must distinguish between the ritually pure beasts, and the impure ones, etc.;” it is well known that the ritually pure beasts are far fewer in number than the ritually impure ones; this is why the Torah had mentioned them first as not so many need to be enumerated. The same applies to the ratio of ritually pure birds and those that are birds of prey. The reason for the warning here is that it is usual for the minority to eventually become assimilated to the majority and to lose their identifying traits. The Israelites therefore had to be warned to insure that this did not happen. Our author adds a warning to the teachers not to be overly long when explaining matters to their pupils so that they remain alert to concentrate on the essence rather than the more trivial parts. (Talmud, tractate Pessachim folio 3), [but prior to this, Solomon, in Kohelet,12,12. Ed.] Parrshat Emor

אשר הבדלתי לכם לטמא WHICH I HAVE SEPARATED FOR YOU TO DECLARE THEM UNCLEAN — This means, to declare them as forbidden.

לטמא, in the sense that physically revolting creatures and especially ingesting them, will eventually contaminate the soul, the spiritual basis of the human being who has consumed them. This negative fallout is the result only of eating such creatures, not of carrying on trade involving them.

To forbid. It is pertinent for the verse to speak of “distinguishing,” since Rashi explained that “impure” means “impure for you,” i.e., impure through your action, that the majority of one “sign” was not cut. But regarding something that is the way it is without any [human] action [such being a cow or donkey], since it is pure or impure of itself, it is not pertinent [to write] “you shall distinguish,” as [Rashi explained] above.