וריקי מוח יפרשו הפסוק שהוא בספר יחזקאל והוא כל נבלה וטרפה מן העוף ומן הבהמה לא יאכלו הכהנים כל מה שנבלוהו וטרפוהו עופות או בהמות וזה הבל כי הנה בתורה כתוב כל נבלה וטרפה לא יאכל והטעם שאם יאכל לא ישמש: Those whose brains are empty explain the verse in Ezekiel, which reads, The priests shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself, or is torn, whether it be fowl or beast (Ezek. 44:31), as meaning that the priests shall not eat anything brought down or torn by animals or fowl.16Ex. 22:30 prohibits an Israelite from eating that which is torn (terefah). Deut. 44:21 prohibits an Israelite from eating meat which dies of itself (nevelah). Ezek 44:21 seems to limit the prohibition to eat nevalah and terefah only to kohanim. In order to harmonize Ezekiel and the Torah, there were those who claimed that Ezekiel spoke of an animal that has been properly slaughtered and then ripped apart and befouled by birds and beasts. In other words, the Torah prohibits any Israelite from eating the meat of any animal that has been ripped apart by an animal of prey, while Ezekiel adds that a kohen is also prohibited from eating kosher meat that has been befouled. It should be noted that according to this interpretation the word nevelah is not to be taken literally but means flesh which is as disgusting as meat that dies of itself (Filwarg). For other interpretations see Sarim and Meijler. However, this is nonsense, for the Torah states all that dies of itself or is torn he17The kohen. shall not eat.18I.E.’s paraphrase of verse 8, which literally reads: that which dies of itself, or is torn, he shall not eat. The meaning19Of verse 8 and Ezek. 44:21. is if he eats20That which dies of itself or is torn. he shall not minister.21The meaning of our verse and that of Ezekiel is, if a kohen eats that which was torn or died of itself he is ritually unclean and shall not serve in the tabernacle or eat sacred food.