Preying Plants
Name@Withheld wrote:
Dear Rabbi,
Are there any grounds to suggest that a carnivorous plant (e.g., Venus Flytrap, etc.) would be treif (not kosher), assuming it was edible? Please give sources. Many thanks.
Dear Name@Withheld,
Being "carnivorous" wouldnt make a plant not kosher. The Torah tell us that all plant life is given to man to eat (Genesis 1:29), and we dont find any source which restricts any particular plant species.
Your question is based on the idea that kosher species are those which are not carnivorous and do not prey on other animals. However, this is not always true. Although there are no kosher carnivorous animals, and preying on other living things is an indication that a bird is non-kosher, this is not the case with fish, for example. Many kosher fish eat other fish or insects. So, too, it is not a restriction on plants.
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