Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses the signs of a kosher fish, which are having fins and scales. It is largely held true that every fish with scales also has fins. This leads the Gemara (Niddah 51b and Chulin 66b) to question the redundancy: why does the Torah need to mention fins if scales alone would suffice to indicate a kosher fish?

The Gemara answers: 

This is in accordance with the verse: “The Lord was pleased, for His righteousness’ sake, to make Torah great and glorious” (Isaiah 42:21).

What does the Gemara really mean by this answer? In a general sense, it seems to indicate that certain redundancies and extra explanations bring more honor to the Torah. But what is that honor? What is the increased understanding?

The Shalah (Kellalei Hatalmud 15) suggests that it means that from this teaching we can derive an idea or principle that applies elsewhere, even if here it may have no particular relevance. Using this concept, we can say that even if we did not need to know that fins are a sign of a kosher fish—because we would already know it from its scales—we still learn something about the idea of fins on fish. So, what idea might that be?

The Ritva (Niddah ibid) explains that fins and scales are not merely signs of a kosher fish, but they manifest the inner cause of the fish’s kashrus. Meaning, there is something about having fins and scales that makes the fish kosher. So, while technically the Torah could have just said “scales,” and we would have known the fish is kosher because every fish with scales has fins, the Torah wanted us to know that fins are every bit a part of what makes the fish kosher as the scales are. But what is the power of these fins and scales? Why do they make the fish kosher, and what can we learn from it?

The Ramban (Vayikra 11:9) understands fins and scales as mechanisms that allow the fish to float closer to the surface, as opposed to other aquatic life that are bottom feeders. Ramban equates being near the ocean’s surface with proximity to life-giving forces, and therefore godly emanations, while deep, dark, cold sea life is less connected to life and divine emanations.

The Imre Emes (Shemini 5690) develops the symbolic idea of fins and scales. Scales serve as body protection and armor. (In fact, the armor in the battle of David and Goliath was described with the same Hebrew word as scales, “Siryon Kaskasim” (Shmuel I 17:5).) Meanwhile, fins enable the fish to swim and propel itself. Therefore, we can see scales as a defensive, protective function, and fins as an assertive, risk-taking, growth function. The Imre Emes explains that in serving God one needs both traits. First, one must be grounded in faith and tradition. Yet one also must assert and grow beyond a fixed state, learning and evolving.

Based on Rav Kook’s commentary on the mitzvah of Tefilin (Olas Reiyyah), Rav Yishai Yislazon (https://etzion.org.il/he/tanakh/torah/sefer-devarim/parashat-ki-tavo/ve-ra-u-kol-amei-haaretzכי תבוא | וראו כל עמי הארץ: קדושה הניכרת בפנים | תורת הר עציון) explains the two tefilin and blessings that correspond to these two states of serving God. When donning the tefilin for the head, the blessing “on the mitzvah of tefilin” is recited. When donning the tefilin of the arm, the blessing “to place tefilin” is recited. Here too we see a more passive situation—the tefilin on the head—and correspondingly a more active situation—to place the tefilin on one’s arm.

We can relate this to the Imre Emes above. The tefilin of the head represent intellect, are grounded, and thus reflect the defensive, established structure of faith and belief represented by the scales. On the other hand, the quest to achieve, accomplish, grow, and develop is done with the arm—the tefilin of the arm, next to the heart—like the fins of the fish.

So don’t always go with the flow; sometimes you need to swim against the tide. But to swim against the tide and know you’re going in the right direction, you must be grounded in faith and tradition.