Notable Sources
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Learning Ethics from AnimalsTALMUD
Learning Ethics from Animals
TALMUD
Observing animals can teach us valuable moral and ethical lessons. Rabbi Yoḥanan, in the Babylonian Talmud in tractate Eruvin, explains how we can learn modesty from the cat, the objection to stealing from the ant, faithfulness from the dove, and proper conduct from the rooster.
The Practical Role of Cats in SafetyTALMUD
The Practical Role of Cats in Safety
TALMUD
With their predilection for hunting snakes, cats can make homes safer in some ways and more dangerous in others, according to the Talmud. Different versions of Rav Pappa's advice, presented in tractate Pesahim suggests taking different steps for safety depending on whether you have a cat or not.
Dreaming of CatsTALMUD
Dreaming of Cats
TALMUD
The meaning of seeing a cat in a dream can vary, according to the Talmud, based on the local Aramaic dialect's term used for cat. The Babylonian Talmud, in tractate Berakhot, offers various interpretations of dreams involving animals and objects, indicating whether they are good or bad omens based on specific details.
Cat and Mouse on Noah's ArkMIDRASH
Cat and Mouse on Noah's Ark
MIDRASH
How did the mouse get it's stitched-up mouth? The Alphabet of ben Sira, a medieval text blending folklore and moral lessons, recounts this whimsical tale.
Cat ScratchesHALAKHAH
Cat Scratches
HALAKHAH
Expectations about animal behavior influence presumptions made that are relevant for legal conclusions. In the authoritative 16th-century code of Jewish law, the Shulchan Arukh, Rabbi Joseph Karo discusses whether you can expect more than one fowl to have been injured by a feline depending on whether the cat got into their coop or was swiping at them from outside.
Gestation and RipeningTALMUD
Gestation and Ripening
TALMUD
The Sages correlated the gestation periods of various animals, including cats, with the ripening periods of different trees. In the Talmudic tractate Bekhorot, the rabbis discuss these correlations in a baraita, an early rabbinic teaching.
The Cat Ate the Two-Zuz GoatLITURGY
The Cat Ate the Two-Zuz Goat
LITURGY
The event of a cat eating a goat in 'Chad Gadya' is part of a chain of events leading to ultimate divine redemption. This traditional Passover song is popular to sing at the end of the Seder.