Q&A: The Story of the Flood
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
The Story of the Flood
Question
How did Noah distinguish between the pure and impure animals, given that this distinction was only given later to the children of Israel?
Answer
I have no idea. I assume the terminology was only coined later.
Discussion on Answer
He distinguished between certain animals and certain other animals, which were later called impure and pure animals. In the Torah this appears as a distinction between impure and pure animals, because for the Torah’s readers that distinction was already known and familiar.
See Torah Temimah on the verse “as far as Dan” (Genesis 14:14).
I didn’t understand—what do you mean that the terminology was only coined later?