החסידה. היא הנראית למועדים ידועים בשנה ויש אומרים שהיא מפזרת חסד בדרך רחוקה: AND THE STORK. Some say the chasidah (stork) is the bird which appears at certain well-known times in the year. Others say that it scatters loving kindness (chesed).48See Rashi: “Why is it called “chasidah? It is so called because it acts kindly towards its fellow creatures with regard to food.” See also Chullin 63a. This is far-fetched.
האנפה. שיתנאף מהרה: AND THE HERON. The anafah (heron) grows angry (yitannef) quickly.49See Chullin 63a.
הדוכיפת. אמרו הצדוקים שהיא התרנגולת ואלה טפשי עולם כי מי הגיד להם: AND THE HOOPOE. The Sadducees say that the dukhifat (hoopoe) refers to the chicken. However, they are the world’s greatest fools, for who told them this?
העטלף. עוף קטן יעוף בלילה והוא מלה מרובע (ר״ל בת ד׳ אותיות): AND THE BAT. A small bird that flies at night. The word atalef (bat) is a quadriliteral; that is, it comes from a four-letter root.
ודע כי מלת תשקצו מן העוף. בדקדוק הטעם היא מעט רחוקה ממלת אל תשקצו את נפשותיכם כי הנפשות פעולים ובעוף טעמו שתדעו שהם שקץ ויהיו נחשבים לכם לשקץ וכל שרץ קטן שיעוף פעם ופעם הולך על ארבע שקץ: Note that the word teshakketzu in teshakketzu min ha-of (these ye shall have in detestation among the fowls) (v. 13) has a slightly different grammatical meaning from teshakketzu in al teshakketzu et nafshotekhem (ye shall not make yourselves detestable) (v. 43). In the latter instance the word nafshotekhem (yourselves) is the object, while in the case of the fowl (v. 13) its meaning is, you shall know that they are detestable and they shall be considered detestable to you. All winged swarming things that at times fly and at times go upon all fours are detestable.50I.E.’s interpretation of verse 20.