The prohibition against eating flying creeping creatures applies to winged insects with three pairs of legs, such as wasps, bees, flies, crickets, praying mantises, and locusts. Locusts, however, are treated differently from the others. Since they have special jumping legs, the Torah permits certain kosher species among them, as it says: “Every flying creeping creature that walks on four is detestable to you. But these you may eat from among all the flying creeping creatures that walk on four: those that have jointed legs above their feet with which to jump upon the ground” (Vayikra 11:20–21).
The Torah identifies kosher locusts by two criteria: they have two pairs of ordinary legs, along with kera’ayim, a third pair of large, raised legs used for jumping. The Sages transmitted two further criteria based on tradition: the locust must have four wings, and its wings must cover most of its body (Ḥullin 59a). Even if these criteria are not yet visible in a young locust, the species is kosher and may be eaten if they will appear as it grows.[2]
The Torah names four kosher locust species: “These of them you may eat: the arbeh according to its kind, the sol’am according to its kind, the ḥargol according to its kind, and the ḥagav according to its kind” (Vayikra 11:22). The Sages understood the phrase “according to its kind” to include an additional related species for each one: arbeh includes tziporet keramim; sol’am includes Yoḥana Yerushalmit; ḥargol includes artzuviya; and ḥagav includes razbanit (Ḥullin 65a; MT, Laws of Forbidden Foods 1:22).[3]
Like fish, locusts do not require sheḥita, and the prohibition against eating a limb from a living creature does not apply to them. It is therefore permissible to cut a piece from a live locust and eat it. One may not, however, bite directly into a live locust, or even bring it to one’s mouth as if to bite it, because this is repulsive and violates bal teshaktzu (Shabbat 90b; Rema YD 13:1). It is also forbidden because it is cruel (Da’at Kohen 12).
Some authorities maintain that ḥagav is the general name for all kosher locust species. On this view, even a locust with the kosher criteria may not be eaten unless it is also known as ḥagav (Rivam, Rosh, Ramban, and Rashba, following R. Yose). Therefore, locusts are not eaten on the basis of their physical criteria alone; there must also be a tradition that the species is included under the name ḥagav (SA YD 85:1). Once there is a reliable tradition that a particular species is kosher, we may assume that it is included under the name ḥagav.
In recent generations, the tradition permitting locusts was preserved in Yemen and Morocco, where locusts were common. The species permitted by that tradition is arbeh, including its varieties — the locust that at times gathers in vast swarms and destroys all vegetation.[4]
[2]. Regarding the verse, “that has lo jointed legs above its feet” (Vayikra 11:21), there is a ketiv-kerei. The word lo is written with an alef, meaning “that has no jointed legs,” but it is read with a vav, meaning “that has jointed legs.” The Sages expound this in Ḥullin 65a: “If it does not have them now but will grow them later, such as the larva, it is permitted. R. Elazar b. R. Yose says: ‘that has no jointed legs’ — even if it does not have them now but will grow them later. What is a larva? Askirin.” The halakhic authorities rule accordingly, as does SA YD 85:1.
Although the Gemara states this regarding kera’ayim, the jointed jumping legs, Rambam applies the same principle to wings as well (MT, Laws of Forbidden Foods 1:23). Knesset ha-Gedola, glosses to Tur; Siftei Da’at 85:1; and Kaf ha-Hayim 85:2 rule accordingly: even if a locust does not yet have all four criteria, it is kosher if those criteria will appear as it grows.
This is the growth process of the arbeh: the female locust lays eggs, from which emerges the yelek, a small larva that eats the greenery of the field. After the yelek sheds its skin and grows, it is called ḥasil, because it consumes (meḥasel) the grass of the field. The ḥasil then sheds its skin as well, and as it grows further it is called gazam, because it cuts down (gozem) all vegetation. It continues developing until it reaches maturity, grows wings, and is called arbeh (based on Prof. Zohar Amar, Ha-arbeh Be-masoret Yisrael, pp. 126–128). Since the larva will eventually grow wings, it is kosher even before they appear, though people generally did not eat locusts at that stage because they found them repulsive; see the Herḥavot 13:2.
[3]. A locust of this species can emerge from the same kind of egg and develop in one of two phases: a solitary phase or a gregarious, swarming phase. Although these phases differ greatly in appearance and behavior, they are not separate species. Which phase develops depends on environmental conditions, including population density, humidity, temperature, and available food. Perhaps tziporet keramim, the species associated with arbeh, is the solitary phase of this same species.
[4]. The Mishna (Ḥullin 59a) states: “R. Yose said: Its name must be ḥagav.” Rivam, Meiri, Rosh, Ramban, and Rashba understand R. Yose to be explaining the first Tanna’s position, and they rule accordingly: ḥagav is the general name for all eight kosher locust species mentioned in the Gemara (Tosafot, Ḥullin 65a; Ḥullin 65a). Rif, however, omits R. Yose’s view, implying that the physical criteria alone are sufficient.
Rambam (MT, Laws of Forbidden Foods 1:21–22) lists the eight names and writes that one who is not expert in identifying them may examine a locust and permit it on the basis of the criteria. In his commentary to the Mishna, however, Rambam follows Rivam, and Maggid Mishneh writes that this is the practical ruling. Tur and SA YD 85:1 likewise require both elements: the locust must have the kosher criteria, and there must be a tradition that it is called ḥagav.
The tradition concerning both the criteria and the name was preserved among the elders of Yemen and Morocco. It concerns the species arbeh, the first of the four kosher locust species mentioned in the Torah, which multiplies in swarms. They also had an identifying mark for it: a shape resembling the Hebrew letter ḥet on its ventral plate. Although other communities did not customarily eat these locusts, they are kosher for everyone as a matter of law, because the communities that preserved the tradition are trusted in this regard.
