Fish and grasshoppers do not need to be slaughtered

Synopsis

Here we read that fish and grasshoppers are permitted to be eaten just by being gathered; slaughtering is not necessary. This is like the heads of the Yeshivas, who do not need to be slaughtered when they die like other men, instead they are gathered without being slaughtered. Just as the fish live in the sea, those who study the Torah live in the Torah, and if they leave it they die instantly. He who learns Kabbalah is above all others, and will have dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air. Rabbi Shimon likens those who learn Mishnah to the 'crocodiles,' saying that when they have a dispute one swallows the other. If they are at the same level of teacher, however, they all have love at the end.

Air Angel of Death Angels Birds Fish Head Mishnah Seas Sword Torah

118. Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd). Fish and grasshoppers do not need to be slaughtered, for merely being gathered in permits them to be eaten. It is the same way with the heads of the Talmudic colleges, who do not need to be slaughtered WHEN THEY DIE LIKE OTHER MEN - WHO ARE SLAUGHTERED BY THE SWORD OF THE ANGEL OF DEATH. It is said of them: "...and expired, and was gathered to his people" (Beresheet 49:33), FOR THEY ARE GATHERED WITHOUT BEING SLAUGHTERED, WHICH DISFIGURES THE DECEASED. As the fish live in the sea, so the students who study the Torah and the Mishnah live in the Torah, and if they leave it they die instantly. The Tannaim of the Mishnah are raised by the Torah, like the fish IN THE SEA, and if those who dwell on land enter the sea without knowing how to swim, they die. But he who learns the Kabbalah is above all others, as it is written: "Have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air" (Beresheet 1:28), WHICH ARE THE STUDENTS OF MISHNAH.

118. (רעיא מהימנא) דָּגִים וַחֲגָבִים, אֵינָן טְעוּנִין שְׁחִיטָה, אֶלָּא אֲסִיפָתָם הִיא הַמַתֶּרֶת אוֹתָם. הָכִי מָארֵי מְתִיבְתָּא, אֵין צְרִיכִין שְׁחִיטָה, אֶלָּא דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן, וַיִּגְוַע וַיֵּאָסֶף אֶל עַמָּיו. מַה נוּנֵי יַמָּא, חִיוּתָן בְּיַמָּא. אַף תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים, מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין, חִיּוּתַיְיהוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאִי אִתְפָּרְשָׁן מִנָּהּ, מִיַּד מֵתִים. תַּנָּאִין דְּמַתְנִיתִין, דְּבָהּ אִתְרַבּוּ כְּנוּנֵי יַמָּא, וְאִי אִינּוּן דִּבְיַבֶּשְׁתָּא יַעֲלוּן לְמַיָּא, וְלָא יַדְעִין לְשַׁטְּטָא, אִינּוּן מַיְיתִין. אֲבָל אָדָם דְּאִינּוּן מָארֵי קַבָּלָה, דְּאִיהוּ לְעֵילָּא מִכֻּלְּהוּ, אִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַּת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם.

Boards Crocodiles Love Mishnah Serpent

119. For those who learn Mishnah are 'crocodiles,' NAMELY the great crocodile, "that crooked (Heb. bariach) serpent" (Yeshayah 27:1), which corresponds to "the middle bar (Heb. bariach) in the midst of the boards" (Shemot 26:28), WHICH IS THE SECRET OF TIFERET. When the 'crocodiles' who study Mishnah have a dispute and argue with each other, ONE swallows the other, if he is a young student and has not yet reached the position of teacher, yet teaches all the same AND IS THUS punishable by death. However, if all the students are in the same position yet have a difference of opinion, then it is said of them AT THE END: "Vahev in sufah" (Bemidbar 21:14) meaning that they have love at the end (Heb. ahava besufah). End of Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd).

119. דְּאִינּוּן מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין תַּנִינַיָּא, הַתַּנִּין הַגָּדוֹל, נָחָשׁ בָּרִיחַ, לָקֳבֵל וְהַבְּרִיחַ הַתִּיכוֹן בְּתוֹךְ הַקְּרָשִׁים, בְּזִמְנָא דְּתַנִּינָן מָארֵי מִשְׁנָה אִית בְּהוֹן מַחֲלוֹקֶת, וּמַקְשִׁין דָּא לְדָא, בָּלַע לְחַבְרֵיהּ. וְהַאי אִיהוּ תַּלְמִיד זְעֵיר שֶׁלֹּא הִגִּיעַ לְהוֹרָאָה וּמוֹרֶה, חַיָּיב מִיתָה. וְאִי אִינּוּן שָׁוִין דָּא לְדָא, וְאִית בְּהוֹן מַחֲלוֹקֶת, וְקוּשְׁיָא, אִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן אֶת וָהֵב בְּסוּפָה, אוֹקְמוּהָ אַהֲבָה בְּסוּפָה. (עד כאן רעיא מהימנא)