7 Comments
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Mark's avatar

I think part of the confusion here is that people do not have a clear idea of what a "hoof" is and how it differs from a foot/toe in general.

Natan Slifkin's avatar

Interesting. I don't always realize that things that seem obvious to me are not necessarily obvious to others. Do you think I need to make that clearer in the post?

Mark's avatar

I think it would be good to clarify that near the beginning, yes.

Charles Hall's avatar

I knew what hoofs are because I grew up around dairy farms and saw cows in the pastures almost every day!

David Ilan's avatar

I think it is indeed likely Rashi could have seen a camel. This was during the crusades and they could have been brought back to Europe with returning knights. They would have been part of the traveling circuses that went from town to town to entertain.

David Ilan's avatar

Well all Artscroll has to say is נשתנה טבע since the stone Chumash was printed and problem solved…for them.

Daniel Yehudah Ben Avraham's avatar

I sometimes think the goal of Artscroll is to make sure the inaccuracy becomes universal “knowledge.”

Reminds me of the many practices Artscroll siddurim claim are “universal.” Even when they’re only universal in some places, and not others…