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From: robison@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Babirusa -- the "almost" pig.  Is it Kosher?
Message-ID: <1265@eosp1.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 20-Nov-84 13:04:57 EST
Article-I.D.: eosp1.1265
Posted: Tue Nov 20 13:04:57 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 21-Nov-84 01:19:33 EST
Reply-To: robison@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison)
Organization: Exxon Office Systems, Princeton
Lines: 23

I saw an AP story about an Indonesian animal that looks like a
rather thin and tall boar.  It is said to be "pig-like", to
have cloven hoofs, and a second stomach.  It's not clear whether
a determination will be made that it "chews the cud".  The story
indicated that a detrmination might conceivably be made that the
animal's meat is kosher.  There are hopes that it will be easy to
domesticate, since it "roots" less than pigs do, and is therefore
less destructive.

Anybody know anything about the Babirusa?

My vague understanding is that the main question is whether the
animal has cloven hoofs, chews the cud, and is classified as
an animal similar to the other ruminants.  For really different
animals (such as birds) the rules of determination are different,
and could exclude a new animal simply because it is not listed.

The Torah contains a list, claimed to be exclusive, of all animals
that either chew the cud or have cloven hooves, but not both.
If the Babiirusa is not kosher, it is at least a new exception.

  - Toby Robison (not Robinson!)
  {allegra, decvax!ittvax, fisher, princeton}!eosp1!robison