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Bechorot 8a discusses a species called dolfinim, which, in Rashi's understanding, are merpeople and can bear viable offspring with humans. Let's suppose that merpeople actually exist as Rashi descr...
#1: Initial revision
by
DonielF
·
2020-07-02T22:17:18Z (over 4 years ago)
Bechorot 8a discusses a species called *dolfinim*, which, in Rashi's understanding, are merpeople and can bear viable offspring with humans. Let's suppose that merpeople actually exist as Rashi describes them. 1. As per Vayikra 20:15, bestiality is a capital crime. Would a union between a human and a merperson be included in this prohibition, or would it be permissible? 2. Regardless of permissibility, suppose the human and merperson bore a weird fish-human-human crossbreed. Halachically, would this theoretical offspring be considered human, merperson, both, or neither? 3. Granted that, as per Kilayim 8:6, the normal rules of crossing don't always hold when one of the two species is human, we do see in Chullin 79a.2-4 that two crossbreeds of the same two species can be treated differently depending on which parent is which crossed species. Does this extend to our situation – that is, is there a difference between a male human copulating with a mermaid versus a female human mating with a merman? <sup>(Possibly relevant: Rashi on Sanhedrin 58a.8; and Eruvin 18b.10-12 regarding Adam bearing demon offspring.)</sup> <sup>Adapted and updated from my [question and answer](https://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/80944/) from MY.</sup>