Community Magazine April 2013

scales, and if either of these two properties is missing, the fish is impure and unfit for consumption. Accordingly, if a piece of fish with scales but without fins was placed on a plate before us, according to the rules we have seen, we would have to decline eating it. However, since we have not seen the entire fish, the possibility exists that the piece was taken from a fish that had fins, but they were cut off and thrown away. Here, the Mishnah (Oral Law) comes to our aid: “Any fish that has scales has fins, but there are fish that have fins but no scales” (Niddah 51b). The Mishnah gives a general rule that any fish that has scales must have fins. Therefore, we are permitted to eat the piece of fish on our plate, although we see only one of the two required signs, because if it has scales, it must have had fins, as well. This comment of the Mishnah is simply amazing. The Mishnah had precise knowledge of all the fish in the world, both in oceans and lakes, and could guarantee that the piece of fish on our plate is certainly kosher, because there is no fish in the world that has scales that does not also have fins. Today, over 30,000 species of fish have been classified, and not one of them has scales but not fins. Is this not proof that the Writer of the Torah knew everything in existence in the world, and even underwater? How else could the Mishnah have known, in those ancient times, about facts that only in recent times have been discovered, after a great number of the fish in the entire world have been classified? Is it possible that the authors of the Mishnah wrote these words based only on the scientific information that was available in their day, which happened to turn out to be true according to modern day discoveries? Unless there was a clearly established tradition, the Mishnah’s authors could not have possibly taken such a risk and guaranteed that every fish with scales has fins, for if the claim was ever found to be false, their credibility would be undermined. Undoubtedly, they knew this as a definitive scientific fact. Some have tried to dispute this claim, pointing to the Monopterus cuchia , a fish that lives in the Indian Ocean and which, they say, has scales but no fins. After further investigation, however, this contention was found to be false. Fish classifier S. Hamilton proved that this fish indeed has a fin on the lower part of its body: “A rudimentary dorsal fin originates a little anterior to vertical from the bottom.” Thus, not only is the claim of the Mishnah not refuted, but it is even strengthened, because after all the efforts of those who have sought to refute the claim, after they turned over the whole world to find a fish that had scales and no fins, they only found one candidate, and it turns out that it actually does have a fin! Rabbi Adi Cohen is the head of Maagley Yosher educational institutions who has educated hundreds of students over the years. Rabbi Adi Cohen is now available to give lectures. He can be reached at: 972 548 466 692. Monopterus cuchia - “Any fish that has scales has fins, but there are fish that have fins but no scales” (Niddah 51b). In the past, some tried to dispute this claim by pointing to the Monopterus cuchia fish that lives in the Indian Ocean, and which, they say, has scales but no fins. Further investigation, however, determined that this was false. Boost business this May! Advertise in the HEALTH AND FITNESS ISSUE! Gain exposure and recognition - there’s nothing to lose . Great opportunity for Doctors, Dentists, Weight loss coaches, Health food and Vitamin providers, Fitness trainers and instructors, and all business owners to promote their business in the most widely circulated Sephardic monthly magazine in the world! Hurry! Deadline is April 15th! 718-645-4460 40 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE