“Speak to the children of Israel saying: These are the living beings that you may eat from all the animals that are on the earth” (Leviticus 11:2). The Holy One blessed be He showed Moses the image of an [animal’s] skull of fire from beneath His Throne of Glory and said to him: ‘If the membrane around the brain is pierced even a minimal amount.’11The animal is a tereifa. The Rabbis say: “These are the living beings [ḥayya] that you may eat” – one that remains alive [ḥayya] after its mauling you may eat, one that would not remain alive after its mauling, you may not eat.12If an animal is mauled and is predicted to not be able to survive for twelve months as a result of its injury, it is a tereifa.
Reish Lakish said: If you merit, you will consume, but if not, you will be consumed by the kingdoms. Rav Aḥa said: It is written: “If you are willing and heed, you will eat the goodness of the land, but if you refuse and are defiant, you will be devoured by sword [ḥerev te’ukelu]” (Isaiah 1:19–20); you will eat carobs [tochelu ḥaruvin], as Rabbi Aḥa said: When a Jew needs [to eat] carobs, he repents.
Poverty is becoming for the Jews, like a red strap over the heart of a white horse. Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: [The word “these”] teaches that Moses was grasping the living beings, showing Israel, and saying to them: ‘This is permitted [for consumption] and this is forbidden.’