Are lice really created from sweat?

With the help of Hashem. 

Hello and blessings, 

Those who studied the Talmudic discussion deeply discovered that the Sages indeed intended in their profound statements to refer to the life-status of the lice. The Talmud means to say that from a halachic perspective, their reproduction is not considered true procreation because their existence is entirely dependent on the host’s body (similar to the law regarding a worm that hatched inside an apple but has not yet emerged into the open air). For a similar reason, the Jerusalem Talmud (Shabbat 1:3) states that it is permitted to kill lice on Shabbat since they are lesser creatures that do not live a long time. An egg also is not yet considered a living thing. Therefore, when one eats an egg, there is no need to wait six hours before eating milk. It is stated in the Gemara (Shabbat 127b), "in the case of the louse that does not reproduce and multiply," but in that same discussion, the saying of Rabbi Eliezer is also examined, "one who kills a louse on Shabbat is like one who kills a camel on Shabbat." Within this discussion, the Sages concluded that a certain verse is not referring to louse eggs because "mina" actually denotes louse eggs—meaning the Sages fully knew that lice hatch and lay eggs. The early commentator Rabbeinu Chananel also wrote alongside that page in the Gemara: "There indeed are eggs for lice, and in Aramaic they are called 'navi,' and in the language of Yishmael 'tziban.'" The explanation behind being created from sweat means that lice are completely parasitic creatures that subsist on body sweat itself, similar to the worm that has not yet emerged from the apple—its life is considered an inseparable part of the apple. This issue is identical regarding worms. As long as a worm hatched inside the apple and has not emerged into the open air, it is regarded as part of the apple. For this reason, lice are considered part of the body, as they are dependent on the body (similar to other parasitic entities like intestinal worms). These are not creatures capable of existing independently. Thus, the intention is not that lice do not reproduce at all (as stated, Rabbeinu Chananel explains that lice have eggs), but rather that halacha does not consider their reproduction and procreation in the same way it considers that of other animals. To what can this be compared? To the reality of bacteria, which are not considered living creatures due to their minuteness, despite reproducing. This is what is stated: "The Torah was not given to ministering angels." However, it is important to understand another point here. Halacha was transmitted through tradition from generation to generation, but the reasons for the halacha were determined by the Sages. For this reason, Chachmei Bavel (Babylonian Sages) offered a different rationale than the Chachmei Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Sages). The Bavli suggested that the reproduction of lice is not considered such, while the Yerushalmi gave a completely different reason—that lice do not live long. Essentially, halacha was given orally—Halacha L’Moshe MiSinai—and all disagreement on this matter relates only to the reasons behind the mitzvah. Therefore, it is possible that there are reasons unknown to us. 

Blessings, Daniel Bels