Komentarz do Kapłańska 11:20

העוף ‎שרץ PROLIFIC CREATURES AMONGST FOWL — These are the thin, lowly creatures which move upon the ground, such as flies and hornets and gnats and grasshoppers (cf. Rashi on Genesis 1:20).

SHERETZ HA’OPH’ (WINGED SWARMING THINGS). “These are the thin, lowly creatures which crawl upon the ground, such as flies and hornets, mosquitoes and grasshoppers.” This is Rashi’s language. But I do not consider it to be correct, for a bird is not called sheretz (a swarming thing) on account of its smallness, nor is the unqualified term oph (bird) used because of the largeness of its body. The bat has very small legs, and many kinds of grasshoppers have larger ones than it, so why is the bat not called sheretz ha’oph (a winged swarming thing) like the grasshoppers?²¹⁸See Genesis, Vol. I, pp. 47-48, where Ramban discusses the same theme. Here the subject is more fully developed. Rather, the meaning of sheretz ha’oph is written [in Scripture immediately] after it: that go upon all fours. For all fowls that walk upon two legs, have erect necks, and their heads face upwards, and they always depend on their wings and flap them; therefore they are called oph kanaph (winged fowl),²¹⁹Genesis 1:21. or just oph. But those that have [four] legs walk lowly, with their neck and head bent downwards like creeping things, and therefore they are called sheretz ha’oph (a winged creeping thing), as I have explained in Seder Bereshith.²⁰⁸Verse 15. Similarly He referred back here and explained, And all ‘sheretz ha’oph’ (winged creeping things) which have four feet, are a detestable thing unto you,²²⁰Verse 23. the meaning thereof being as if He had said: “all winged creeping things which have only four feet and do not have jointed legs [above their feet] as mentioned [in Verse 21 amongst the signs of purity], are a detestable thing unto you.” The interpretation thereof in Torath Kohanim is:²²¹Torath Kohanim, Shemini 3:10. “Rabbi²²²See above, Note 117. says: And all ‘sheretz ha’oph’ (winged creeping things) which have four feet, are a detestable thing.²²⁰Verse 23. But if it has five feet, it is a clean species.”
Now in this section regarding winged creeping things there is only a positive commandment,²²³I.e., Yet these may ye eat of all winged creeping things etc. (Verse 21), from which you derive the principle that those that do not meet these criteria, are forbidden to be eaten by means of a negative commandment, and a negative commandment derived from a positive commandment carries the force of the positive commandment. Hence he who eats forbidden winged swarming (or creeping) things transgresses a positive commandment, for which there is no punishment by the court. But in the Book of Deuteronomy, Ramban continues, there is also an express negative commandment against eating it. Hence he who eats it incurs whipping. but in the Book of Deuteronomy there is a prohibition mentioned in connection with it, [namely], And all ‘sheretz ha’oph’ (winged creeping things) are unclean unto you; they shall not be eaten.²²⁴Deuteronomy 14: 19. See “The Commandments,” Vol. I, pp. 157-158; Vol. II, pp. 169-170. It is on the basis of that verse there that whipping is incurred for violation thereof.

ההולך על ארבע; similar to bees.