English of Core Text: It was taught: Why does the serpent mate face to face? Because the Shechinah spoke with it, as it is written “And the Lord God said to the serpent.”
On the daf / in context: The direct address of the Shechinah to the serpent is given as the reason for its unique mating posture among animals.
Type of Learning: Custom (reason for serpent’s mating posture)What Is Learned: Because God spoke directly to the serpent, it mates face to face.