Author(s): Rabbi Natan Slifkin

Judaica

Every animal that has hooves that are fully split and brings up the cud, you shall eat. However, this you shall not eat... the camel, the hare, and the hyrax, for they bring up the cud, but they do not have split hooves; therefore they are unclean to you. (Deuteronomy 14:6-7) For more than a century, the Torah's list of animals with only one kosher sign has been a source of controversy. This obscure topic is used both by those striving to demonstrate the Torah s scientific wisdom and also by those seeking to challenge it. Do we know the correct identities of these animals? Do they indeed chew the cud and lack split hooves? Does the Torah claim them to be the only such animals? And are there any others? This groundbreaking work draws upon a wealth of Torah literature and the latest zoological research to present a detailed and comprehensive study of this difficult topic.