Avodah Zarah, Daf Lammed Tet, Part 1
Introduction
Today s section deals with fish which are kosher and which are not. Fish seem to have been particularly difficult in terms of deciding which was kosher and which was not. Sometimes the scales are not so easy to see. I think we can also assume that fish was a very important part of the ancient diet. For those who live near water, fish are easier to catch than wild game. And fish (at least back then) did not have to be fed. They were thus probably one of the easiest and cheapest sources of protein. To be overly restrictive could have negative results.
וטרית טרופה וציר שאין בה דגה וכו’: מאי חילק? אמר רב נחמן בר אבא אמר רב זו סולתנית
ומפני מה אסורה מפני שערבונה עולה עמה:
Tarit fish which had been minced, brine which does not have a [kilbit] fish [and hilak are all prohibited]. What is the hilak ?
R. Nahman b. Abba said in the name of Rav: It is the sultanit [fish]. Why is it prohibited? Because other species of a similar kind [but prohibited] are caught together with it.
The mishnah listed certain fish that may not be eaten. The Talmud explains what the hilak fish is. Since the size of the hilak is the same as other small, non-kosher fish, the hilak may not be eaten, lest other non-kosher fish are eaten with it.
תנו רבנן אין לו עכשיו ועתיד לגדל לאחר זמן כגון הסולתנית והעפיץ הרי זה מותר. יש לו עכשיו ועתיד להשיר בשעה שעולה מן הים כגון אקונס ואפונס כטספטייס ואכספטייס ואוטנס מותר
Our Rabbis taught: [Those species of fish] which now have no [fins and scales] but grow them later, such as the sultanit and afitz are permitted; those which have them now but shed them when drawn out of the water, such as the colias, scomber, sword-fish, anthias and tunny are permitted.
As long as the fish will have fins and scales or once had fins and scales it is kosher. It does not have to have them when it is eaten.
אכריז רבי אבהו בקיסרי קירבי דגים ועוברן ניקחין מכל אדם חזקתן אינן באים אלא מפלוסא ואספמיא כי הא דאמר אביי האי צחנתא דבב נהרא שריא
R. Abbahu announced in Caesarea that fish-entrails and their eggs may be purchased from anybody since the presumption is that they only come from Pelusium and Aspamia.
This is like what Abaye said: The small tzahanta fish from the river Bab-Nahara is permitted.
R. Abahu assumes that fish-entrails and eggs bought in Caesarea are kosher because they come from places where only kosher fish are caught. This is similar to Abaye who assumes that the small tzahanta fish from a certain river are also kosher.
מ"ט אילימא משום דרדיפי מיא והאי דג טמא כיון דלית ליה חוט השדרה בדוכתא דרדיפי מיא לא מצי קאי והא קא חזינן דקאי
אלא משום דמליחי מיא והאי דג טמא כיון דלית ליה קלפי בדוכתא דמליחי מיא לא מצי קאי והא קחזינן דקאי
אלא משום דלא מרבה טינא דג טמא
אמר רבינא האידנא דקא שפכי ביה נהר גוזא ונהר גמדא אסירי
What is the reason [they are permitted]? If you say because the water flows rapidly and an unclean species of fish cannot exist in fast-flowing water since they do not have a backbone, but we do see them there!
Rather it be suggested that the reason is because the water is salty and an unclean species of fish cannot exist in salty water since it has no scales, but we do see them there!
Rather the reason is that muddy water does not let unclean fish reproduce.
Ravina said: Since nowadays the rivers Goza and Gamda flow into [Bab-Nahara, its small zahanta fish] are prohibited.
The Talmud tries to understand why Abaye is so sure that unclean small fish do not live in the river Bab-Nahara. The answer is that the conditions simply are not conducive for their growth. The rapid water and its saltiness are not a problem, but the mud is.
Ravina revokes Abaye s leniency since two other rivers now join the Bab-Nahara, we cannot assume that the fish is kosher.
אמר אביי האי חמרא דימא שרי תורא דימא אסיר וסימניך טמא טהור טהור טמא
אמר רב אשי שפר נונא שרי קדש נונא אסיר וסימניך (שמות טז, כג) קדש לה’
איכא דאמרי קבר נונא אסור וסימניך קברי עובדי כוכבים
Abaye said: The sea-donkey is permitted, the sea-ox is prohibited; and an aid to the memory is the unclean [on land, the donkey] is clean [in the water] and the clean [on land] is unclean [in the water].
R. Ashi said: The shefar nuna is permitted, but the kedash nuna is prohibited; and an aid to the memory is Holy [kodesh] to the Lord [but not edible for people].
There are those who say: The kevar nuna is prohibited, an aid to the memory being the phrase the graves [kivre] of non-Jews.
Here rabbis list fish and provide some mnemonics to remember which one is kosher and which one is not.
רבי עקיבא איקלע לגינזק. אייתו לקמיה ההוא נונא דהוה דמי לחיפושא חפייה בדיקולא חזא ביה קלפי ושרייה
רב אשי איקלע לטמדוריא אייתו לקמיה ההוא נונא דהוה דמי לצלופחא נקטיה להדי יומא חזא דהוה ביה צימחי ושרייה
רב אשי איקלע לההוא אתרא אייתו לקמיה נונא דהוי דמי לשפרנונא חפייה במשיכלי חיורי חזא ביה קלפי ושרייה
When R. Akiba visited Guizak, they set before him a fish resembling the hipusha fish; he covered it over with a basket, and noticing scales in it declared it permitted.
When R. Ashi visited Tamduria, they set before him a fish resembling an eel; holding it up against the sun, he noticed that it had growths [like scales], so he declared it permitted.
When R. Ashi visited a certain place, they set before him a fish resembling the shefar nuna, he covered white basins over them, and perceiving scales in them declared them permitted.
In all of these cases the rabbis found a way of determining that the fish do indeed have scales and are thus permitted.
רבה בר בר חנה איקלע לאקרא דאגמא קריבו ליה צחנתא שמעיה לההוא גברא דהוה קרי ליה באטי אמר מדקא קרי ליה באטי ש"מ דבר טמא אית ביה לא אכל מיניה לצפרא עיין בה אשכח ביה דבר טמא קרי אנפשיה (משלי יב, כא) לא יאונה לצדיק כל און:
When Rabbah b. Bar Hanah visited the fort of Agama, they set before him some zahanta; but when he heard somebody call it batei , he said, Since this has been called batei I conclude that there is something unclean in it. He did not eat any of it; and looking at it the following day he found something unclean in it; so he applied to himself the verse, No sin shall befall the righteous.
Rabbah b. Bar Hannah gets lucky and hears someone call the permitted zahanta fish batei. Since batei is the name of a non-kosher fish, the rabbi did not eat it.