דברים, פרק י״ד, פסוק ח׳

The laws defining which animals are fit for consumption find a clear example in the pig. With partial signs of purity, the pig presents a deceptive outward appearance while lacking the necessary internal digestive process of chewing the cud [אבן עזרא, ביאור יש״ר, חזקוני]. Declaring this animal impure does not necessarily refer to the formal laws of ritual contamination; rather, it simply means the creature is fundamentally repulsive and unfit for food [העמק דבר].

Although the focus begins with a single animal, the directives regarding their meat and remains apply broadly to all similar creatures previously identified as unfit [ברכת אשר על התורה]. The restriction against consuming their meat is absolute, applying whether the animal was properly slaughtered or killed in another manner [בכור שור]. However, this limitation is strictly confined to the flesh itself, leaving parts like sinews, horns, and hooves unaffected [אדרת אליהו].

The guidelines extend beyond the meat of a slaughtered animal to include its carcass, specifically referring to one that has died a natural death [רא״ש, הדר זקנים, בכור שור]. A central discussion arises regarding the instruction to avoid touching these remains. One approach understands this not as a strict physical boundary, but as a poetic, reinforced warning against eating. According to this logic, the physical contact being warned against is specifically contact made with the intention to consume. After all, if merely touching the animal were forbidden, eating it would obviously be banned as well, making a separate rule against eating unnecessary [רא״ש, הדר זקנים, דעת זקנים, חזקוני, בכור שור].

Conversely, another tradition interprets the restriction on physical contact literally, though it limits the rule to specific times of the year. Throughout the ordinary days of the year, the general public is not restricted from minor forms of impurity, such as contact with an animal carcass. Even priests are only cautioned against the severe impurity of a human corpse. However, during the three major pilgrimage festivals, the reality shifts. Because there is a requirement to visit the Temple, partake in sacrifices, and celebrate, every person has a duty to maintain a state of purity, making physical contact with a carcass strictly forbidden during these times [רש״י, מזרחי, גור אריה, ביאור שטיינזלץ, אדרת אליהו, ברכת אשר על התורה].

Alongside these strict boundaries, certain extreme conditions change the status of the remains. For instance, if a carcass becomes foul-smelling and entirely unfit for consumption, the usual restrictions no longer apply [קיצור בעל הטורים].