Daf Yomi: The Bird With The Far-Reaching Vision

By: Rabbi Aaron I. Reichel, Esq.

In a discussion on the kashrus of birds on the page of the Talmud studied around the world (Chulin 63), Rabbi Abbahu notes that the ayah is also called the ra’ah. Why is it called “ra’ah”? Since it sees (ra’ah) most vividly. Citing the verse in Job (28:7), “That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the eye of the ayah seen it.” An unidentified sage in the Talmud observed that the ra’ah can stand in Babylonia and see a nevela (carcass) in Eretz Yisrael. What can we derive from this? That even if an animal is gifted with exceptional vision, as are hawks, vultures and the ra’ah, that is not the path to kashrut. If a bird is not kosher, no matter how special and far-reaching its vision might be, it is still not kosher.

Rabbi Shalom Rosner cited Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin in the Oznaim Latorah as having noted that even if a person has the amazing ability to see from afar, this is not a life changer. A person who stands in Babylonia (or America) has no right to criticize what goes on in Israel if he is not there. If a person makes aliyah and becomes a part of the Israeli community, they have the right to criticize the government, but criticizing from afar is treif. It won’t make a bird kosher. A bird that is not kosher in Babylonia is still not kosher even if it can see into Israel.

Right now, a lot of politicians from abroad are criticizing Israel for the defensive actions it is taking, and a lot of would-be politicians are standing on soap boxes criticizing the Israelis, but that soap box does not cleanse their criticism. The Ethics of the Fathers famously advises: “Do not judge your friend until you have reached his place” (2:5). The word “friend” can be translated to mean “fellow.” This applies widely, especially if you truly view your fellow as a friend and want to maintain your friendship.

Rabbi Shalom Rosner notes that the Chief Rabbi of Palestine (now Israel) called his commentary on the Aggadah, Ein Ayah, the eye of the bird with the amazing vision, which also happens to be an acronym for Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen, referring to the positive way the bird could discern what others could not, which was his intention in the study of Aggadah on a higher level.

And now for the trifecta. On this same page in the Talmud (Chullin 63), Rav Huna says that Rav says (in the name of Rabbi Meir) that a person should always teach his student in a concise manner, just as the Torah is concise in its language. 

Citing Rabbi Rosner once again, but this time citing the Meiri, the Meiri brings a novel meaning to the classic opening paragraph in Pirkei Avos, “Make a fence around the Torah” (Avos 1:1), which generally means that a person should create an extra layer of insulation or a boundary to ensure that he will not accidentally violate a basic mitzvah of the Torah.

The Meiri takes this as a lesson to teachers to make an enclosed fence around their word count and get right to the point about what they are teaching to make it simple and understandable for their students. I don’t claim to be a pedagogue, but will take his advice henceforth by bringing this article to a conclusion with fewer words that will still hopefully drive the point home.

Good Shabbos! 

Rabbi Aaron I. Reichel, Esq., is a New York attorney, a foundation administrator, an author, and a former editor whose books he authored, edited, and/or supplemented include biographies of Rabbi Herbert S. Goldstein (The Maverick Rabbi), Harry Fischel (founder of Machon Harry Fischel and central participant in many other institutions), and Chief Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen (also a war hero and Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem), plus an inspirational book on baseball, “Step Up to the Plate.”