Fish and locusts do not require slaughtering

Synopsis

The Faithful Shepherd says that fish and locusts are permitted to be eaten because they can be gathered without slaughtering. He says this is like the sages of the Mishnah, that do not need to be killed by the Angel of Death, but are gathered up. And just as the fish live in the sea and die if they are taken out, the students of the Torah die if they are separated from the sea of the Torah. We learn that the Kabbalah sages are above all, and that they have dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air. Moses says that if a younger student who is not yet fit to teach goes out and teaches, he must die. He also speaks about the sages of Mishnah as being crocodiles and talks about what happens when they disagree.

Air Angel of Death Angels Birds Boards Crocodiles Fish Locusts Mishnah Precepts Seas Serpent Torah Water

58. The following precept is to discuss the laws concerning locusts. We learned that fish and locusts do not require slaughter, but it is their gathering that makes it permissible to eat them. Such are the sages of the Mishnah. They do not need slaughtering BY THE ANGEL OF DEATH but it says of them, "and expired, and was gathered to his people" (Beresheet 49:33). Just as the fish of the sea live in the sea, so do the Torah students and the sages of the Mishnah live in the sea, and if they are separated from the Torah they immediately die. THEY ARE the crocodiles of the Mishnah wherein grow the sea crocodiles. And if those who live on dry land, NAMELY THOSE WHO HAVE NO TORAH IN THEM, fall into the water, NAMELY INTO THE TORAH, but cannot swim, NAMELY A STUDENT WHO DID NOT BECOME A TEACHER YET TEACHES, they die. But 'Man,' who are the Kabbalah sages are above all. Of them it says, "and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air" (Beresheet 1:28), who are the Mishnah sages the crocodiles. The great crocodile is "the flying (Heb. bariach) serpent" (Yeshayah 27:1) that corresponds to "the middle bar (Heb. bariach) in the midst of the boards" (Shemot 26:28), WHICH IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN, TIFERET.

58. פִּקּוּדָא בָּתַר דָּא, לָדוּן בְּדִינֵי חֲגָבִים, דְּאִתְּמַר דָּגִים וַחֲגָבִים אֵינָן טְעוּנִין שְׁחִיטָה, אֶלָּא אֲסִיפָתָם הִיא הַמַתֶּרֶת אוֹתָם. הָכִי מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין, אֵינָן צְרִיכִין שְׁחִיטָה, אֶלָּא דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן וַיִּגְוַע וַיֵּאָסֶף עַל עַמָּיו. מַה נוּנֵי יַמָּא, חִיוּתָן בְּיַמָּא, אוּף תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים, מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין, חִיּוּתַיְיהוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאִי אִתְפָּרְשָׁן מִנָהּ מִיָּד מֵתִים. תַּנִּינָא דְּמַתְנִיתִין, דְּבָהּ אִתְרָבּוּ תַנִינֵי יַמָּא. וְאִי אִינּוּן דִּבְיַבֶּשְׁתָּא יִפְּלוּן לְמַיָּא, וְלָא יַדְעִין לְשַׁטְטָא, אִינּוּן מַיְיתִין. אֲבָל אָדָם דְּאִינּוּן מָארֵי קַבָּלָה, אִינּוּן לְעֵילָּא מִכֻּלְּהוּ, בְּהוּ אִתְּמַר וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם, דְּאִינּוּן מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין, תַּנִּינָיָּא. הַתַּנִּין הַגָּדוֹל, נָחָשׁ בָּרִיחַ, לָקֳבֵל וְהַבְּרִיחַ הַתִּיכוֹן בְּתוֹךְ הַקְּרָשִׁים.

Crocodiles Death Death and the Afterlife Fish Love Mishnah Seas

59. When the crocodiles - the Mishnah sages - have a disagreement among them and ask each other difficult questions, ONE THEN swallows his colleague LIKE THE FISH OF THE SEA, WHERE THE BIGGER SWALLOWS THE SMALLER. This concerns a younger student who has not reached the position of teaching yet teaches, which is punishable by death. But if they are on equal footing, BOTH BEING LARGE, and have a disagreement and difficult question, it says of them at the end, "Vahev in Sufah" (Bemidbar 21:14), which has been explained TO MEAN love at its end (Heb. sofah), SINCE VAHEV MEANS LOVE (HEB. AHAVAH).

59. בְּזִמְנָא דְּתַנִּינִין מָארֵי מִשְׁנָה, אִית בְּהוֹן מַחֲלוֹקֶת, וּמַקְשִׁין דָּא לְדָא, בָּלַע לְחַבְרֵיהּ. וְהַאי אִיהוּ תַּלְמִיד זְעֵיר, שֶׁלֺֹא הִגִיעַ לְהוֹרָאָה, וּמוֹרֶה, חַיָּיב מִיתָה. וְאִי אִינּוּן שָׁוִין דָּא לְדָא, וְאִית בְּהוֹן מַחֲלוֹקֶת וְקוּשְׁיָא, אִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן לְסוֹף, וְאֶת וָהֵב בְּסוּפָה, וְאוֹקְמוּהָ אַהֲבָה בְּסוֹפָהּ.