<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><span id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-e0cb27b2-7fff-d112-7d13-69a6144a0f07" style=""><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Ben PeKuAh is to the Halacha what the Platypus was to the botanists.</span></font></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">as per the Meshech Chochmah - beginning of Vayera - its meat may be cooked with milk and there is not even a problem with Maris HaAyin.</span></font></div><br class="gmail-Apple-interchange-newline"></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Furthermore, </span></font><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:13pt;white-space:pre-wrap;font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">aside from all the 'normal' food prohibitions that it sidesteps, it may be harnessed to and interbred with other animals - including bestiality, or is at least suspected of being exempt from these prohibitions.</span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><span style=""><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></font></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Tosafot </span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:11pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">[s.v. </span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:11pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">lime’utei</span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:11pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> 74b]</span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> explain that although the prohibition of cross breeding</span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> applies even to a </span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">beheimah</span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> that is about to but has not yet expired, </span><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style=""><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" style=""><span style="font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">nevertheless, we might suspect that it does not apply to the </span><span style="font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">ben pekuah</span><span style="font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> which is an even lesser status</span><font size="4"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span>and for this reason the Gemara must clarify that it is prohibited.</font></font></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><span><span style="font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><br></font></span></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><span><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Do Tosafot mean it is less ‘alive’ than a </span><span style="font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">beheimah</span><span style="font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> that is about to expire? </span></font></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><span><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Or perhaps they mean it is less of a </span><span style="font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">beheimah</span><span style="font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">? </span></font></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><span><span style="font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><br></font></span></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The Ma'asai LaMelekh</span><span style="font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">[Mishneh Torah, Issurei Mizbeach 4:2 - </span></font><span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:10pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">HebrewBooks – </span><a href="https://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=7438&st=&pgnum=158" style="font-size:small;text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">https://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=7438&st=&pgnum=158</span></a><span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:10pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:11pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">]</span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> explains: the </span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">shechted beheimah</span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> is/was a </span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">beheimah</span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> whereas the </span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">ben pekuah</span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> never was.</span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></font></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:13pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></font></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><br>Best,<br><br>Meir G. Rabi</div><div><br></div><div>0423 207 837</div><div><font size="1">+61 423 207 837</font></div></div></div></div></div>