One or the Other

However, among the cud-chewing, hoofed animals, these are the ones that you may not eat: The camel though it brings up its cud, it does not have divided hoofs, so it is unclean to you;  and the hyrax, though it chews its cud does not have divided hoofs, so it is unclean to you; and the hare, though it though it chews its cud does not have divided hoofs, so it is unclean to you; and the pig, though it has completely divided hoofs, it does not chew its cud, so it is unclean to you.    Leviticus 11:4-7

            After introducing the two signs of a kosher animal, the Torah specifies four animals each of which has only one of the signs and is therefore not kosher.

            Kli Yakar raises two questions:

1] Why does the Torah mention the sign of kashrut which each of the four animals has, since it is the missing sign which is crucial?

2] In the original Hebrew, the simple meaning of the verses seemingly implies that the sign of kashrut which is present in each of the four (chewing its cud for the camel, hyrax and hare; divided hoofs for the pig) is the reason that the animals are unclean. It is quite perplexing that the Torah presents the sign of kashrut as the reason for the animal being non-kosher!

            Kli Yakar explains that the presence of only one sign of kashrut “adds uncleanliness upon uncleanliness,” and those four animals represent hypocrisy, as it were, showing themselves as being kosher, yet they are worse than the completely evil ones, who make no pretension of being righteous. Of course, we cannot attribute hypocrisy to animals, however, eating those animals may impart negative traits within those who eat them, and one who eats of these four animals is at risk of taking on their negative trait.