סימני עוף טהור א'

And this is the aspect of derisah [mauling — one of the categories that renders an animal traif : when a predator's claws inject venom into the prey] , which is the essential tarfus , as our Sages of blessed memory expounded — that the essential meaning of the word traifah is: that it was torn apart by wild beasts. And the essential derisah is through the hand [paw] specifically. For the essential derisah of the wild beasts that maul — that have venom in their hand [paw] — is on account of the intense anger that they have. And anger is on account of foolishness, as it is written (Koheles 7:9) : "Anger rests in the bosom of fools" (as Rabbeinu, of blessed memory, wrote many times) .

It follows that these wild beasts whose anger is so great that they have venom in their hand [paw] to kill — there, in these beasts, is the intensity of the foolishness, which is the intensification of the koach hamedameh , the power of animality — which is the aspect of foolishness (as is explained in the above-mentioned discourse) . For the more the anger intensifies in the beast, the more the foolishness — that is, the power of animality — intensifies there. And therefore they render the animal forbidden through their derisah with the hand [paw] specifically. For "this one corresponds to that one" (Koheles 7:14) : just as in holiness the essential refinement of the medameh is through the hand specifically — for there are the deposits of all the spirits, as mentioned above — so too, conversely, in wild beasts — where the intensification of the animality and the foolishness is at its utmost — they inject their venom, which is the aspect of ruach ra'ah [an evil spirit], the aspect of anger, through their hand [paw] specifically. For there rests their evil spirit, which is the aspect of anger and hatred — just as in holiness the essential spirit of holiness resides in the aspect of the hand of man, as mentioned above.

And therefore, the animal, beast, or bird that was mauled through the hand [paw] of these wild predatory beasts is forbidden to us. For through these wild beasts, the evil within the medameh intensifies greatly — which is the aspect of the venom, which is the evil spirit, that is in their hand [paw] specifically. And therefore, the law is more stringent regarding derusah [an animal that has been mauled] . For the essential rectification of the living creature is through the refinement of the medameh — which is accomplished specifically when the living creature is complete and free of all eighteen traifos . For then one refines it through the aspect of joy and melody, as mentioned above.

Section 10