To not eat from the flying swarming creatures: To not eat from the flying swarming creatures, such as flies, bees, mosquitoes and others from these types. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 14:19), “And any flying swarming creature is impure for you; they shall not be eaten.” And the language of Sifrei Devarim 103 is “‘And any flying swarming creature, etc.’ is a negative commandment.”
And you should know that because the Torah forbade the impure birds and mentioned them by name — since they are few, as I wrote at length in the Order of Bayom Hashmini in the commandment to not eat an impure bird (Sefer HaChinukh 157) — the rest of the birds (winged creatures) remained under the assumption of being permitted. [Hence] it was necessary for Scripture to forbid the flying swarming creatures, in order to inform us that it is not included among the permissible — and even though the signs for the pure ones are in the tradition and well-known to us. Or we can say that being that the swarming flying creatures are a type unto its own, it was necessary to forbid them explicitly. And behold, in the Order of Bayom Hashmini, it states (Leviticus 11:13), “And these shall be disgusting for you from the birds,” and here it states, “And any flying swarming creature” — a specific negative commandment is put upon them, as birds and flying swarming creatures are two completely different things.
I have written what came up to my thought from the roots of the commandments that come from forbidden foods in the Order of Mishpatim about the prohibition of the “torn” animal (Sefer HaChinukh 73). And take it from there.
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דִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. בְּמַסֶּכֶת חֻלִּין (פ"ג).
The laws of the commandment are in Tractate Chullin (Chapter 3).
And this prohibition is practiced in every place and at all times by males and females. And one who transgresses it and ate a kazayit from the flying swarming creatures or ate one whole swarming flying creature — even though there is no kazayit in it — since he ate all of it; or he ate a kazayit from it — even though [the creature] is big — is liable for lashes. And I have already written at length in elucidation of the prohibition of swarming creatures and the stringency of the prohibition of a complete creature (beriah) in the Order of Bayom Hashmini, as its place is there.
שֶׁלֹּא לֶאֱכֹל שֶׁרֶץ הָעוֹף – שֶׁלֹּא לֶאֱכֹל שֶׁרֶץ הָעוֹף, כְּגוֹן הַזְּבוּבִים וְהַדַּבּוּרִים וְהַצְּרָעוֹת וְזוּלָתָן מִמִּינִין אֵלּוּ, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (דברים יד יט), וְכֹל שֶׁרֶץ הָעוֹף טָמֵא הוּא לָכֶם לֹא יֵאָכֵלוּ. וּלְשׁוֹן סִפְרֵי וְכֹל שֶׁרֶץ הָעוֹף וְגוֹ' מִצְוַת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה.
To not eat from the flying swarming creatures: To not eat from the flying swarming creatures, such as flies, bees, mosquitoes and others from these types. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 14:19), “And any flying swarming creature is impure for you; they shall not be eaten.” And the language of Sifrei Devarim 103 is “‘And any flying swarming creature, etc.’ is a negative commandment.”
וְדַע כִּי מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאָסְרָה הַתּוֹרָה הָעוֹפוֹת הַטְּמֵאִים וְהִזְכִּירָן בְּפֵרוּשׁ, לְפִי שֶׁהֵן מוּעָטִין, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְתִּי בַּאֲרֻכָּה בְּסֵדֶר בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי בְּמִצְוַת שֶׁלֹּא לֶאֱכֹל עוֹף טָמֵא (מצוה קנז) נִשְׁאֲרוּ כָּל שְׁאָר הָעוֹפוֹת בְּחֶזְקַת הֶתֵּר, הֻצְרַךְ הַכָּתוּב לֶאֱסֹר שֶׁרֶץ הָעוֹף לְהוֹדִיעֵנוּ, שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִכְּלַל הַמֻּתָּרִין, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַסִּימָנִין שֶׁל טְהוֹרִים מְקֻבָּלִים וִידוּעִים הֵם לָנוּ. אוֹ נֹאמַר, כִּי מִהְיוֹת שֶׁרֶץ הָעוֹף מִין בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ הֻצְרְכוּ לְאָסְרָן בְּפֵרוּשׁ. וְהִנֵּה בְּסֵדֶר בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי (יא יג) אָמַר וְאֶת אֵלֶּה תְּשַׁקְּצוּ מִן הָעוֹף, וְכָאן אָמַר וְכֹל שֶׁרֶץ הָעוֹף, נִתְיַחֵד בָּהֶן לָאו, כִּי עוֹף וְשֶׁרֶץ הָעוֹף שְׁנֵי עִנְיָנִים חֲלוּקִין הֵם לְגַמְרֵי.
And you should know that because the Torah forbade the impure birds and mentioned them by name — since they are few, as I wrote at length in the Order of Bayom Hashmini in the commandment to not eat an impure bird (Sefer HaChinukh 157) — the rest of the birds (winged creatures) remained under the assumption of being permitted. [Hence] it was necessary for Scripture to forbid the flying swarming creatures, in order to inform us that it is not included among the permissible — and even though the signs for the pure ones are in the tradition and well-known to us. Or we can say that being that the swarming flying creatures are a type unto its own, it was necessary to forbid them explicitly. And behold, in the Order of Bayom Hashmini, it states (Leviticus 11:13), “And these shall be disgusting for you from the birds,” and here it states, “And any flying swarming creature” — a specific negative commandment is put upon them, as birds and flying swarming creatures are two completely different things.
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוֹת הַבָּאוֹת בְּאִסּוּר הַמַּאֲכָלוֹת, כָּתַבְתִּי מָה שֶׁעָלָה בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתִּי בְּסֵדֶר מִשְׁפָּטִים בְּאִסּוּר טְרֵפָה (מצוה עג), וְקָחֶנּוּ מִשָּׁם.
I have written what came up to my thought from the roots of the commandments that come from forbidden foods in the Order of Mishpatim about the prohibition of the “torn” animal (Sefer HaChinukh 73). And take it from there.
דִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. בְּמַסֶּכֶת חֻלִּין (פ"ג).
The laws of the commandment are in Tractate Chullin (Chapter 3).
וְנוֹהֵג אִסּוּר זֶה בְּכָל מָקוֹם וּבְכָל זְמַן בִּזְכָרִים וּנְקֵבוֹת, וְהָעוֹבֵר עַל זֶה וְאָכַל כַּזַּיִת מִשִּׁרְצֵי הָעוֹף אוֹ שֶׁאָכַל שֶׁרֶץ אֶחָד מִן הָעוֹף כֻּלּוֹ, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ כַּזַּיִת, מִכֵּיוָן שֶׁאֲכָלוֹ כֻּלּוֹ, אוֹ שֶׁאָכַל מִמֶּנּוּ כַּזַּיִת וַאֲפִילּוּ גָּדוֹל, חַיָּב מַלְקוּת. וּכְבָר הֶאֱרַכְתִּי בְּבֵאוּר אִסּוּר שְׁרָצִים וְחֹמֶר אִסּוּר בְּרִיָּה, בְּסֵדֶר בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי, כִּי שָׁם מְקוֹמוֹ.
And this prohibition is practiced in every place and at all times by males and females. And one who transgresses it and ate a kazayit from the flying swarming creatures or ate one whole swarming flying creature — even though there is no kazayit in it — since he ate all of it; or he ate a kazayit from it — even though [the creature] is big — is liable for lashes. And I have already written at length in elucidation of the prohibition of swarming creatures and the stringency of the prohibition of a complete creature (beriah) in the Order of Bayom Hashmini, as its place is there.