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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2>From: Michael Makovi <A
href="mailto:mikewinddale@gmail.com">mikewinddale@gmail.com</A><BR><BR>>>(Now,
to be honest, the mishna in Kilayim says breeding dogs and<BR>wolves together is
kilayim, but this is of course strange, given that<BR>the two are clearly the
same type of animal. Perhaps halakha isn't<BR>scientific here; perhaps oats are
halakhically a type of wheat/barley,<BR>even though biologically they are not,
and conversely, perhaps dogs<BR>are not a type of wolf, even though biologically
they most certainly<BR>are. Tzarich iyun.)<<<BR><BR><BR>Michael
Makovi</FONT></DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial
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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2>>>>>></FONT></DIV>
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size=2>R' Natan Slifkin has a terrific chapter about this very subject -- how
the halacha defines "species" -- in his wonderful book, *The Camel, the Hare and
the Hyrax." I've read the book twice, with great pleasure.</FONT></DIV>
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size=2>I can't do it justice -- he covers the subject at great length, and from
various angles -- but one of the things he says is that wild and domestic
varieties of similar animals (even if they can interbreed) are different species
in halacha, and, apparently, subject to halachic strictures against deliberately
interbreeding these species. In the normal course of events they seldom
come into contact with each other and seldom do interbreed. Of course
animals do not have to obey halacha so if Doggie Capulet and Wolfie Montague
/should/ happen to meet and mate, they are not sinning.</FONT></DIV>
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size=2>Halachic definitions of "species" for the issur of kilayim and for other
purposes do not coincide with "scientific" categories and are not meant
to. The ability to interbreed and produce fertile offspring is only one
factor and as you can see with dogs and wolves, is not the only criterion in
halacha.</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"><BR><STRONG>--Toby
Katz<BR>=============<BR></STRONG><I><BR><BR><BR><BR><STRONG>_______________</STRONG></I></FONT></DIV></FONT><DIV CLASS="aol_ad_footer" ID="6d8e5bea6b965139bcce13f2111143ef"><br/><font style="color:black;font:normal 10pt arial,san-serif;"> <hr style="margin-top:10px"/>Remember Mom this Mother's Day! <a href="http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=florist&ncid=emlcntusyelp00000006">Find a florist near you now</a>.</font></DIV></BODY></HTML>