Pisqa’ 100²²²

1. “This is the cattle (behemah) which you shall eat: the ox, the lamb of the sheep, and the lamb of the goats, the ram, the deer, the gazelle, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, the mountain sheep” (Dt. 14:4-5). This teaches that wild cattle (khayah) [such as rams] share a common rubric with [domesticated] cattle (behemah).

footnotes: ²²² H:146-147; JN1:257.

On what basis do we know that [domesticated] cattle share a common rubric with wild cattle?

“This is the wild cattle which you shall eat among all the cattle which are on the earth” (Lv. 11:2). This teaches that wild cattle* may be called *cattle and [domesticated] cattle may be called wild cattle.²²³ par. 2:8. This teaches [also] that [the species of] unclean cattle out-number [those of] clean cattle. For in all cases, Scripture enumerates the smaller **[category before enumerating the larger],**²²⁴ 103.4 as it is said: “This is the cattle you shall eat: the ox . . the ram, . . . the antelope” (Dt. 14:4-5).

footnotes: ²²³ Sifra, shemini, ²²⁴ Cf. Pisqa’

**this “antelope” is in fact a wild ox.**²²⁵

footnotes: ²²⁵ Cf. T. Kil.1:9.