Negative Commandment 217 (Digest)
Interbreeding Animals
"You shall not let your cattle breed with a different kind"—Leviticus 19:19.
It is forbidden to breed together two different animal species.
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> The 217th prohibition is that we are forbidden from crossbreeding different species of animals.
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> The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement,;) "Do not crossbreed your livestock with other species."
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> The punishment for crossbreeding an animal is lashes, provided that the person actually placed the organ of the male animal in that of the female by hand, [as the Talmud puts it,] "like an applicator;) in its tube." Our Sages;) said this clearly: "For adultery, [the witnesses] only need to see them in the position of sexual relations. For crossbreeding, they must see 'like an applicator in its tube.' " Only then does the person receive lashes.
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> The details of this mitzvah are explained in the eighth chapter of tractate Kilayim.
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> Footnotes
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> Lev. 19:19.
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> Mak'chol, literally a stick, etc. used to apply k'chol (a medication or cosmetic) to the eye. The k'chol was stored in a tube, and the mak'chol was dipped in the tube in order to apply the k'chol to the eye.
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> 3.
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> Baba Metzia 91a.
Negative Commandment 218 (Digest)
Working with Two Animal Species
"You shall not plow with an ox and donkey together"—Deuteronomy 22:10.
It is forbidden to cause animals of two species to work together, e.g., to have them jointly plow, thresh or pull a wagon.
Biblically, this prohibition only applies if one of the animals is kosher (e.g., an ox) and the other is of a non-kosher species (e.g., a donkey). The Sages, however, extended this prohibition to apply to any two species.
Unabridged English Text of this Mitzvah »
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> The 218th prohibition is that we are forbidden from using two species of animals to work together.
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> The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement,;) "Do not plow with an ox and a donkey together."
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> One receives lashes for using them for any kind of work, such as plowing, threshing, or driving.;) This is because the verse says, "together," meaning that one cannot bring them together for any kind of work.
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> One only receives lashes by Torah law when one species is kosher and the other one non-kosher, such as "an ox and a donkey." Then, one is lashed for plowing, pulling or driving with them. One receives lashes by Rabbinic decree for using any two species [even if they are both kosher or both non-kosher].
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> The details of this mitzvah are explained in the eighth chapter of tractate Kilayim.
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> Footnotes
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> Deut. 22:10.
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> I.e., pulling a wagon.