Animal Kingdom

THE TORAH ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM Volume I: Wild Animals/ Chayos Sample Chapter: The Leopard RABBI NATAN SLIFKIN The Torah Encyclopedia of the Animal Kingdomis a milestone in Jewish publish- ing. Complete with stunning, full-color photographs, the final work will span four volumes. The Torah Encyclopedia of the Animal Kingdom includes: • Entries on every mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, insect and fish found in the Torah, Prophets and Writings; • All scriptural citations, and a vast range of sources from the Talmud and Midrash; • Detailed analyses of the identities of these animals, based on classical Jewish sources and contemporary zoology; • The symbolism of these animals in Jewish thought throughout the ages; • Zoological information about these animals and fascinating facts; • Studies of man’s relationship with animals in Torah philosophy and law; • Lessons that Judaism derives from the animal kingdom for us to use in our own daily lives; • Laws relating to the various different animals. The Torah Encyclopedia of the Animal Kingdom is an essential reference work that will one day be commonplace in every home and educational institution. For more details, and to download this chapter, see www.zootorah.com/encyclopedia. Rabbi Natan Slifkin, the internationally renowned “Zoo Rabbi,” is a popular lec- turer and the author of numerous works on the topic of Judaism and the natural sciences. He has been passionately study- ing the animal kingdom his entire life, and began working on The Torah Encyclopedia of the Animal Kingdom over a decade ago. © Natan Slifkin 2011. This sample chapter may be freely distributed provided it is kept complete and intact. No text or photographs may be extracted for use elsewhere. Zoo Torah is an educational enterprise offering books, lectures, safaris, and a unique miniature Jewish zoological museum in Israel. For more details, see www.ZooTorah.com Leopard נמר Leopard Namer ברדלס and Cheetah Bardelas The Leopards of Israel leopards of this size are known to be man-eaters in other parts of the world. As a result, they were hunted, and the he strikingly beautiful leopard is the most wide- last specimen was killed by a shepherd near Hanita in spread of all the big cats. It lives in a variety of 2 different habitats in much of Africa, the Middle 1965. Another leopard subspecies was the Sinai leopard, TEast, and Asia. In former times, leopards were abundant Panthera pardus jarvus. It was hunted by the Bedouin throughout Israel, especially in the hilly regions: upon whose goats it preyed, and is now extinct. With me [you will be exiled] from Lebanon, O bride, with Today, the Arabian leopard, Panthera pardus nimr, is me from Lebanon until you will return, then look from the only subspecies of leopard to be found in Israel. It is the peak of Amana, from the peak of Senir and Hermon, one of the smallest subspecies of leopards, weighing only from the dens of lions, from the mountains of leopards. up to about seventy pounds. The Arabian leopard usually (Song of Songs 4:8). preys on ibex and hyrax, and rarely attacks livestock. But The leopard of the mountains was the Anatolian leop- it, too, faces extinction. Some leopards of this subspe- ard, Panthera pardus tulliana. This was still recorded in cies formerly inhabited the popular Ein Gedi area, and the Carmel region in 1866, and was found in the Galilee learned that an easy source of food was to be found in the until as recently as the 1960s.1 These were one of the larg- dogs and cats of the local kibbutz. As a result, two females est subspecies of leopards, weighing up to 170 pounds, were trapped and taken into captivity, causing the col- and preying on wild boar, porcupines, hyrax, and live- lapse of the leopard population in that area. A DNA study stock. They were also undoubtedly dangerous to humans; of leopard droppings, performed in 2006, showed an esti- This Arabian leopard is poised on a hill in the Judaean Desert PHOTOGRAPH: EYAL BARTOV mated population size of just five males and three females “between its extremities,” i.e. “from end to end.” As such, of the Arabian leopard in the Negev and Judaean desert it would refer to the length of the tiger from the tip of regions. The chances of encountering a leopard in Ein its nose to the tip of its tail, which is often described in Gedi today are so slim that, on the sign warning visitors English as its length “between the pegs.”9 This can indeed LEOPARD about leopards, somebody once scribbled, “Watch out for approach thirteen feet.10 polar bears too!” There are also some names of places in Scripture that Leopards and Cheetahs are derived from the leopard. There was a fortified city of the Tribe of Gad named Nimrah (leopardess),3 and there There is one reference to the namer in Scripture that was a region in Moab referred to as Nimrim (leopards).4 would perhaps match the cheetah better than the leop- The Talmud refers to cities named Namer and Nameri.5 ard. It occurs in the context of a prophecy describing the With regard to names of people, Nimrod’s name may terror of the Chaldeans: relate to the leopard; but although the lion, bear and wolf Their horses are lighter than namerim… (Habakuk 1:8) have long been popular as Jewish names (Aryeh, Dov and The term “lighter” is a little difficult to pinpoint with Zev), the leopard has never received such an honor.6 accuracy. It probably means “swifter,” which would better apply to the cheetah than the leopard. Cheetahs are Leopards vs. Tigers far slimmer in build than leopards, but are able to run much faster, reaching speeds of up to seventy miles an There is both a strong tradition and clear evidence that hour over short distances. Horses are not, in fact, swifter the namer of Scripture (pronounced nah-mehr) is the than cheetahs. But the namer is used in this verse as an leopard. This animal is often cited in Scripture as one example of a very swift animal, with the horses being of the great predators in the Land of Israel, along with poetically described as even faster than them. Thus, this lions, bears, and wolves, which is indeed the status of the verse is likely to refer to the swift cheetah rather than the leopard. The coat of the namer is described as spotted; leopard. Leopards catch their prey either by ambush or as we shall see later, perhaps “blotched” is a more accu- by stalking it to within a close range and then making a rate translation, and this perfectly describes the leopard. very short and fast rush, whereas cheetahs are renowned There is also evidence for the leopard from cognate lan- for their high-speed chases. The Asiatic cheetah,Acionyx guages; in Akkadian and Arabic, the leopard is known as jubatus venaticus, was found in the Land of Israel in Bib- nimr (plural, nimrin). lical times, but it was last seen in Israel in 1959. However, today there is some confusion regarding the However, it is also possible that the description of term namer. In Modern Hebrew, this word was originally horses being even “lighter” than leopards means “more commonly used for the tiger.7 But tigers are natives of Asia and are not found anywhere near the Land of Israel. They would not therefore be the subject of discussion in Scripture. The tiger is, however, mentioned in the Talmud: Rabbi Yehudah said… Tigris is the lion of Bei Ila’i. (Chul- lin 59b) The name Bei Ila’i is of uncertain meaning; Ila’i means “of high” and it thus may refer to a mountainous region. But there can be little doubt that the tigris is the tiger (and this is also the more correct term for the tiger in Mod- ern Hebrew, instead of namer8). The tigris is described as being extremely large: Rav Kahana said: There are nine cubits between the lobes of the lion of Bei Ila’i. (Ibid.) Nine cubits is a little over thirteen feet, but what are the “lobes” of the lion of Bei Ila’i? Some explain the term to refer to its ears; but even as an exaggeration, it would be 5 strange to describe the tiger as measuring thirteen feet This 1500-year old mosaic of a leopard is from the between the ears. However, the term may perhaps mean ancient Maon synagogue at Nirim in Israel. WILD ANIMALS The cheetah has a slender build compared to the leopard. It possesses spots rather than blotches. agile.” Leopards are certainly very agile creatures, able to Cheetahs and leopards are basically similar in terms lightly bound up trees and pounce on their prey. As such, of their coloration; although cheetahs have spots and this verse may well be referring to the leopard. And even leopards have blotchy markings, both would certainly be if it does refer to speed, leopards are known for their very described as variegated in their coloration. However, it is fast charges over short distances. interesting to note the wording of the famous verse that In any case, the name namer could not refer exclusively refers to the leopard’s markings: to cheetahs. Aside from the strong tradition that it refers Can the Cushite change his skin, or the leopard his to the leopard, there are references to the namer that do spots [chabarbarusav]? So too, can you, in whom evil is not match the cheetah at all. As we shall see later, the ingrained, do good? (Jeremiah 13:23) Mishnah describes the namer as being brazen, which can The word used to describe the leopard’s markings, only refer to the leopard; cheetahs, being relatively weak chabarbarusav, is conventionally translated as “spots,” animals, are wary and shy.

Load more