tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80231537161904022002024-02-07T04:40:27.963+02:00Zoo TorahJewish Perspectives on the Animal Kingdom and the Natural SciencesNatan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04488707201313046847noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-7042801960228711112014-10-26T20:08:00.003+02:002014-10-26T20:08:31.040+02:00Come Visit The Biblical Museum of Natural History!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6vZUISADbBmVrd3dGmV7xkXcFO87l4xjUTAv-dJ-bwrVnslHWaruxDw6G4CCpxjxZkh18ZzL7fsX0l9Ud8QSQVu5rwjxkYepQ9t9zz2Bj7DqffqmcVsAk93eRV5Y6HDh_MSeu31DBbQ/s1600/PromoTusk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6vZUISADbBmVrd3dGmV7xkXcFO87l4xjUTAv-dJ-bwrVnslHWaruxDw6G4CCpxjxZkh18ZzL7fsX0l9Ud8QSQVu5rwjxkYepQ9t9zz2Bj7DqffqmcVsAk93eRV5Y6HDh_MSeu31DBbQ/s1600/PromoTusk.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a>The Biblical Museum of Natural History is starting to take visitors! The museum showcases the mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects of Scripture, including both live and inanimate exhibits, as well as featuring related zoological topics from the Talmud. It provides an educational encounter that is designed to inspire and educate visitors young and old. The personal guided tour includes some hands-on encounters!<br />
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The museum is not yet fully finished, but we are sufficiently set up to offer a great experience. Visits are only via reservation.
Admission fees are as follows:<br />
Adults (age 18 and up) 40 NIS<br />
Children (3 - 18) 30 NIS<br />
Children below age 3 FREE<br />
Senior citizen, Student, Soldier, Policeman, Handicapped 30 NIS<br />
Discounts are available for groups.<br />
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The Biblical Museum of Natural History is located at 5 Rechov Ha-Tzaba Street, in the northern industrial zone of Beit Shemesh.
Please see <a href="http://www.biblicalnaturalhistory.org/">www.BiblicalNaturalHistory.org</a> for more details.<br />
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<a href="http://www.biblicalnaturalhistory.org/" target="_blank"></a><br />
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"Rabbi Slifkin did not disappoint. Combining his well known erudite
knowledge of the animal kingdom with fascinating connections to תנך
and statements of חז"ל, the museum tour provided for an edifying time.
The hands-on opportunities made for an enjoyable experience as well.
We highly recommend it for anyone looking for a family trip that is
both meaningful and fun. We look forward to returning to this
wonderful museum!" - Rabbi Dr. Howard Apfel<br />
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"We all enjoyed the museum, from age 8 to 51. It was just the type of
<i>tiyul </i>we needed - close to home, educational, fun and fascinating. (My
kids all thanked me for bringing them). May you have much
success!!!" - Rabbi Hillel Horovitz<br />
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"Our trip to the museum was a perfect family outing - stimulating,
educational and enjoyed by all. The rare and varied exhibits were not
behind glass, enabling us to get close and even touch some of them. We
highly recommend a guided tour of the museum to people of all ages." -
Daniel Price<br />
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"The Biblical Museum of Natural History connected us both to Nature
and to Tanach (and Chazal) in ways our modern lives often don't allow.
The tour also reminds us of the rich wildlife that used to roam
Israel-- even as we celebrate the country's renewal and resettlement,
a museum like this reminds us of a lost world, in which daily life
could involve encounters with lions, bears, jackals, leopards, and
more. It's Torah, it's Nature, it's an enjoyable, informative, and
illuminating experience for family members of all ages!" - Rabbi Gidon
Rothstein<br />
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"The Biblical Museum of Natural History is fantastic! It was an
amazingly fun and educational experience. I highly recommend that
people take advantage of the fact that we have a great Museum located
right here in Bet Shemesh." - Lenny Solomon<br />
<br />Rabbi Dr. Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07903561261083292772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-22017268227555236002013-07-24T20:14:00.001+03:002013-07-24T20:14:28.577+03:00With Moses in the WildernessHere in Africa, many African-Americans - sorry, I mean African-Africans - have interesting names. On yesterday's game drive, the driver, before setting off, launched into a long introduction. He spoke with the slow manner of speaking that some Africans use, in which they draw out each syllable in a painfully long amount of time. "Myyyyyy naaaaame," he said slowly, "is Civilized. C - i - v - i - l - i - z - e - d. I am your driiiiii-veeerrrrr for todaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay." <br />
"Hi, Mr. Civilized," I said, "My name is Impatient. Can we get going?"<br />
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On this morning's game drive, the driver was called Moses. He led us through the wilderness, starting before dawn. We didn't see as many species as yesterday, but we did have the rare thrill of being in the midst of a huge buffalo herd, seeing a herd of elephants, and watching a leopard and her cub roaming around. The cub kept on launching surprise attacks at the mother, which she tolerated as only a mother can. Here's a picture that I took of the cub:<br />
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We watched them for quite a while, then headed off to meet up with the other jeeps, in order to make a <i>minyan </i>for <i>shacharis </i>out in the savannah. Meanwhile, two people on my jeep were quite desperate to go to, er, attend to a call of nature. But Moses didn't want to stop, because he was in a rush to meet up with the other jeeps. "Moses!" I thundered, "Let my people go!"<br />
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Later, back at the ranch, I took the following photograph of an impala at the water-hole by the dining room, which brought a certain <i>passuk </i>to mind:<br />
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And finally, here's a video clip of the leopards:<br />
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Rabbi Dr. Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07903561261083292772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-48511129611736119102013-06-25T10:12:00.000+03:002013-06-25T23:36:27.426+03:00Foxes in Ramat Bet ShemeshThe other night, at 12.30am, I heard a bizarre noise outside my house. This is what it was:<br />
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Rabbi Dr. Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07903561261083292772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-78272632317959396282013-06-12T22:13:00.001+03:002013-06-12T22:13:08.106+03:00Penguin Baal TeshuvahAccording to the sign, this penguin at the Toronto Zoo is apparently on his way to becoming observant. No wonder he's wearing black and white. <br />
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(Thanks to Eli Rachlin for sending in the picture.)Rabbi Dr. Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07903561261083292772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-36512704718006405022013-04-18T20:58:00.001+03:002013-04-18T20:58:09.031+03:00The Lion Hunter of Zion(Cross-posted at <a href="http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-lion-hunter-of-zion/" target="_blank"><i>The Times of Israel</i></a>) <br />
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In his youth, King David proved his heroism by slaying a lion. He went on to put his life on the line for the Jewish People and become a hero for all Israel. Three thousand years later, another lion-hearted lion-slayer also put his life on the line for the Jewish People and became a hero for all Israel. He wasn’t even Jewish, but he was one of the greatest friends and supporters that the Jewish People ever had – and his experiences with lions assisted in numerous ways.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jxHplt_JdQDpuyIVl4Ayvo9we0HK0I9Q8iJlnHvFzD9Wb5YfgLfCdLmC0hLQW9P2971gcRHoLnjLlD4wB1wkXLRDzTuijXQ_a2H6xZtamu0cHHtFgWzyWQBKxy7v8U4YkP8mNQB8fZY/s1600/tsavo+maneaters+in+Field+Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jxHplt_JdQDpuyIVl4Ayvo9we0HK0I9Q8iJlnHvFzD9Wb5YfgLfCdLmC0hLQW9P2971gcRHoLnjLlD4wB1wkXLRDzTuijXQ_a2H6xZtamu0cHHtFgWzyWQBKxy7v8U4YkP8mNQB8fZY/s320/tsavo+maneaters+in+Field+Museum.jpg" /></a></div>
Colonel John Patterson was an Irish soldier and engineer assigned to Kenya by the British Empire at the turn of the twentieth century. His job was to supervise the construction of a bridge over the Tsavo river for a massive railroad project. Unfortunately, railroad workers were constantly being slaughtered by the most notorious man-eating lions in recorded history. Two maneless but huge lions, working together, were estimated to have killed and eaten well over a hundred people working on the railroad.
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Night after night, Patterson sat in a tree, hoping to shoot the lions when they came to the bait that he set for them. But the lions demonstrated almost supernatural abilities, constantly breaking through thorn fences to take victims from elsewhere in the camp, and seemingly immune to the bullets that were fired at them.<br />
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Patterson was faced with the task of not only killing the lions, but also surviving the wrath of hundreds of workers, who were convinced that the lions were demons that were inflicting divine punishment for the railroad. At one point, Patterson was attacked by a group of over a hundred workers who had plotted to lynch him. Patterson punched out the first two people to approach him, and talked down the rest!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCJ6WppXH-a3kTUDJE37ZI48pLY5m4-fhayl2IYDlJhMjDfJ0pF-VQ37uIKZhkvmEsp_nHyqaYbCkLt1g8lUVw_qoCuVUUUCqTrvwLBZKw2q5TTfk_xMUFiknlgj1pXQChW6SMwXfYbgQ/s1600/tsavo+maneater1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCJ6WppXH-a3kTUDJE37ZI48pLY5m4-fhayl2IYDlJhMjDfJ0pF-VQ37uIKZhkvmEsp_nHyqaYbCkLt1g8lUVw_qoCuVUUUCqTrvwLBZKw2q5TTfk_xMUFiknlgj1pXQChW6SMwXfYbgQ/s320/tsavo+maneater1.jpg" /></a>After many months, Patterson eventually shot both lions. He himself was nearly killed in the process on several occasions, such as when one lion that he had shot several times suddenly leaped up to attack him as he approached its body. He published a blood-curling account of the episode in <i>The Man-Eaters of Tsavo</i>, which became a best-seller, and earned him a close relationship with US President Roosevelt.<br />
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Upon returning to England, Patterson was a hailed as a hero. When World War One broke out, however, Patterson traveled to Egypt and took on a most unusual task: forming and leading a unit of Jewish soldiers, comprised of Jews who had been exiled from Palestine by the Turks. As a child, Patterson had been mesmerized by stories from the Bible. He viewed this task as being of tremendous, historic significance. The unit, called the Zion Mule Corps, was tasked with providing supplies to soldiers in the trenches in Gallipoli. Patterson persuaded the reluctant War Office to provide kosher food, as well as matzah for Passover, and he himself learned Hebrew and Yiddish in order to be able to communicate with his troops. The newly-trained Jewish soldiers served valiantly, but the campaign against the Turks in Gallipoli was ultimately unsuccessful, and the Zion Mule Corps was eventually disbanded.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtmu9DawJGBBNeWQ_KzC8BpAJyKW2tXynhRqRneE31JD3RNMiOBMTGsdACRYUnV1FRcwYqGsua9M0TMleZ0eaCxpIjZesaFkFBl0ssq8q5BaICsxh_4-SuAHIYzSf8OnAg-Urav_Hfv0/s1600/JewishLeagueFortEdwardNovaScotia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtmu9DawJGBBNeWQ_KzC8BpAJyKW2tXynhRqRneE31JD3RNMiOBMTGsdACRYUnV1FRcwYqGsua9M0TMleZ0eaCxpIjZesaFkFBl0ssq8q5BaICsxh_4-SuAHIYzSf8OnAg-Urav_Hfv0/s320/JewishLeagueFortEdwardNovaScotia.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
In 1916 Patterson joined forces with Vladimir Jabotinsky to create a full-fledged Jewish Legion in the British Army, who would fight to liberate Palestine from the cruel reign of the Ottoman Empire and enable the Jewish People to create a home there. The War Minister, Lord Derby, succumbed to anti-Zionist agitators and attempted to prevent the Jewish Legion from receiving kosher food, from serving in Palestine, and from having “Jewish” in their name. Patterson promptly threatened to resign and risked a court-martial by protesting Derby’s decision as a disgrace. Derby backed down and Patterson’s Jewish Legion was successfully formed. During training, Patterson again threatened the War Office with his resignation if his men (many of whom were Orthodox) were not allowed to observe Shabbos, and again the army conceded. Meanwhile, Patterson brought Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook to address and inspire his troops.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6fcPjiqpD8OqNr_7UdE7aWpYJWbloWcvFHJeDPjQabDgbPKzk6-Xpd4ZhyphenhyphenL8zrtksTISo4Snos0vZhm3M1FNMSgS2Y9rFElytzuZ79PcEeEGZb9HRp3koUqHQn2KxyPzoaLUQupzYxs/s1600/Jewish_legion_hakotel_1917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6fcPjiqpD8OqNr_7UdE7aWpYJWbloWcvFHJeDPjQabDgbPKzk6-Xpd4ZhyphenhyphenL8zrtksTISo4Snos0vZhm3M1FNMSgS2Y9rFElytzuZ79PcEeEGZb9HRp3koUqHQn2KxyPzoaLUQupzYxs/s320/Jewish_legion_hakotel_1917.jpg" /></a>Patterson clashed repeatedly with antisemitic officers in the British Army. Once, when a visiting brigadier called one of his soldiers “a dirty Jew,” Patterson demanded an apology, ordering his men to surround the brigadier with bayonets until he did so. The apology was produced, but Patterson was reprimanded by General Allenby. On another occasion, Patterson discovered that one of his Jewish soldiers had been sentenced to execution for sleeping at his post. Patterson circumvented the chain of authority and contacted Allenby directly in order to earn a reprieve. The reprieve came, but a notoriously antisemitic brigadier by the name of Louis Bols complained about Patterson’s interference to General Shea. Shea summoned Patterson and, rather than discipline him, revealed that his children were great fans of <i>The Man-Eaters of Tsavo</i>. The Jewish Legion fought well, and Palestine was liberated from the Turks. But Patterson himself was the only British officer in World War One to receive no promotion at all – a result of his outspoken efforts on behalf of the Jewish People.<br />
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After the war, Patterson dedicated himself to assisting with the creation of a Jewish homeland. The achievements of the Jewish Legion gained sympathy for the cause, but there was much opposition from both Jews and non-Jews. One Jewish delegation, seeking to explore an alternate option of creating a Jewish homeland in Africa, was dissuaded after reading <i>The Man-Eaters of Tsavo</i>. Meanwhile, against Patterson’s strenuous efforts, Bols was appointed Military Governor of Palestine, and filled the administration with antisemites who attempted to undermine the Balfour Declaration and empowered hostile elements in the Arab world.<br />
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When World War II broke out, Patterson, now an old man, fought to create another Jewish Legion. After great effort, the Jewish Infantry Brigade was approved. Aside from fighting the Germans, members of the Brigade succeeded in smuggling many concentration camp survivors into Palestine. Many other survivors had been cruelly turned away, and Patterson protested this to President Truman, capitalizing on his earlier relationship with Roosevelt. This contributed to Truman’s support for a Jewish homeland.<br />
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Patterson spent most of his later years actively campaigning for a Jewish homeland and against the British Mandate’s actions towards the Jews in Palestine. Tragically, he passed away a month before the State of Israel was created. The newly formed country would not have won the War of Independence without trained soldiers – and the soldiers were trained by veterans of Patterson’s Jewish Legion and Jewish Infantry Brigade. Colonel John Patterson had ensured the survival of the Jewish homeland. But his legacy lived on in another way, too. Close friends of his named their child after him, and the boy grew up to be yet another lion-hearted hero of Israel. His name was Yonatan Netanyahu.<br />
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<b>Further reading:</b><br />
John Patterson, <i>The Man-Eaters of Tsavo</i> <a href="http://openlibrary.org/books/OL19774836M/The_man-eaters_of_Tsavo" target="_blank">(free download)</a>
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John Patterson, <i>With the Zionists in Gallipoli</i> <a href="http://openlibrary.org/books/OL14306479M/With_the_Zionists_in_Gallipoli" target="_blank">(free download)</a> </div>
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John Patterson, <i>With the Judaeans in the Palestine Campaign</i> <a href="http://openlibrary.org/books/OL18068978M/With_the_Judaeans_in_the_Palestine_campaign" target="_blank">(free download)</a></div>
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Denis Brian, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Lives-Colonel-Patterson-Victory/dp/0815609272" target="_blank">The Seven Lives of Colonel Patterson: How an Irish Lion Hunter Led the Jewish Legion to Victory </a>
Rabbi Dr. Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07903561261083292772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-82477110079489323892013-03-11T15:03:00.001+02:002013-03-11T15:03:18.157+02:00Adventures in Locust Hunting<br />
Last week was not great for this zoo rabbi. One of my hyraxes, named Lorax, escaped, and despite the best efforts of my neighbors and myself to recapture it, our efforts proved fruitless. Then my fruit bat, Batsheva, escaped, and although I managed to recapture her two days later, her experiences left her in bad shape and she expired. And to top it all, I hadn't made it to the South to catch the locusts that had arrived in a plague from Egypt. The article about kosher locusts that I had written for <a href="http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-locusts-are-coming-yum/" target="_blank">The Times of Israel</a> had been quoted by media outlets all over the world, but I hadn't actually gotten any! My students were begging me for a lecture on kosher locusts, and my chameleons, for whom locusts are a favorite food, were looking at me with accusing eyes (which, protruding from their heads, are particularly unsettling). And the Ministry of Agriculture reported that they had successfully fumigated all the locusts that had flown in from Egypt. Which was wonderful news for the farmers and the economy - let's not lose perspective here! - but not for my chameleons, my students and me.<br />
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Then, right before Shabbos, there was a report that a new swarm had flown in. And on Shabbos, a stranger came over to me, and introduced himself as Moishe from Australia. He said that he was part of a group of fans of this website, and he wanted to know where he could hunt for locusts. (He also excitedly told me about the huge "mozzie" that he had just seen; after some bewilderment, I figured out that this was Australian talk for a mosquito.)<br />
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And so, late last night, we planned our expedition. The latest reports indicated that a small swarm had settled in Nachal Lavan, near the Egyptian border. The Ministry of Agriculture were sending planes on Sunday morning to fumigate them. We would have to make an early start - partly because locusts can best be captured when they are dormant from the cold of night, and partly in order to get them before they were sprayed with pesticide!<br />
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At five o'clock this morning, Moishe and I hit the road. It's possible to drive incredibly fast at that hour, even while simultaneously scanning the road for hedgehogs and hyenas. There's also a new, wide bypass road that circumvents Be'er Sheva, speeding up the journey considerably. As we entered the Negev desert, a number of signs on the road warned of danger from camels crossing the road - their bodies are so high from the ground that if you hit one, it comes straight through the windshield. We didn't have that experience, which was fortunate for us, and also for the camels. The desert itself was vast and bare, with herds of oryx conspicuously failing to thunder across it. We made excellent time, but the sun had already come up, and it was going to be close. I didn't yet realize just how close it was going to be.<br />
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I found the rough road leading off the highway towards Nachal Lavan, and we began to travel down it. A large four-wheel drive vehicle was coming in the other direction, and we drove past it. In the rear-view mirror, I saw it turn around. I pulled over to the side as it drew up next to my car.<br />
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"Hi," I said brightly. "We're looking for locusts! Do you know where we can find them?"<br />
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The man in the other car, who was apparently from the Ministry of Agriculture, was not happy with me. "You have to leave this area right now," he said. "In two minutes, it's going to be fumigated." "Okay," I said in disappointment. And he drove off.<br />
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This was very upsetting. But meanwhile, Moishe from Australia had gotten out of the car, and he was peering into the bushes that were a short distance from us. "Crikey," he said, or some such Australian expression of astonishment, "This bush is full of locusts! Strewth! Blimey!" Or words to that effect.<br />
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Pesticides or not, I wasn't going to miss this opportunity. I grabbed a collecting box from the back of the car and made my way to the bush. There were locusts all over the branches!<br />
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At that point, two things happened simultaneously. I heard a voice thundering, "<b>GET BACK IN THE CAR <i>NOW!</i></b>" It sounded like the Lord Himself speaking from the Heavens, but it was in fact the Ministry official, who had returned to check that I had left, and was shouting from a loudspeaker mounted on his truck. Then, at the same moment, there was a noise like a hundred thousand
beating wings. I looked up, but instead of seeing a black cloud of
locusts, I saw two planes swooping towards me, spraying pesticides as
they approached. <br />
<br />
It was like a scene from a movie. Moishe and I grabbed some locusts in our hands, and with fistfuls of bugs, we ran back to the car and slammed the doors closed. The Ministry Man was shouting something about my being fined, the planes swooped overhead, and I stepped on the gas and raced out of there. Being killed by pesticides would not be a great way to go. Can you imagine the headlines? "Zoo Rabbi Fumigated in Locust-Hunting Expedition. 'He Really Bugged Us,' Say Opponents."<br />
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Well, that was the end of our success for this morning. We drove around further, but we found nothing other than countless more locusts that had already been fumigated. They were lying on the ground, twitching, and I took a few dozen; I can't even feed them to my reptiles, but perhaps when they stop twitching, I can pin them to a card and sell them as souvenirs for the <a href="http://zootorah.com/museum" target="_blank">Jewish Museum of Natural History</a>. We had managed to collect a total of seven live, unfumigated locusts in the approximately five seconds of time that we had, and I'm hoping to start a breeding colony. Here's to happy times all round!<br />
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Rabbi Dr. Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07903561261083292772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-42080587475903525892013-03-04T16:29:00.002+02:002013-03-04T19:21:08.876+02:00The Locusts Are Coming! Yum!(Cross-posted at <a href="http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-locusts-are-coming-yum//">The Times of Israel</a>.)<br />
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In the last few days, a devastating plague of locusts, numbering in the tens of millions, has been sweeping across Egypt. In Israel, the Ministry of Agriculture is on full alert. A special hotline has been set up, and the pesticides have been prepared. Hopefully, modern agricultural technology will help us avoid disasters such as that of 1915, when a plague of locusts in Israel led to much tragedy.<br />
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Meanwhile, I have my own early warning system - a friend on military duty near the Egyptian border has promised to call me if swarms arrive. I'd love to see it first-hand, and to catch a couple of hundred to feed to my reptile collection - and to eat myself.<br />
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It is commonly overlooked that not only does the Torah permit man to eat certain mammals, birds and fish, but it even permits him to eat certain insects - namely, several types of locusts. The identification of the kosher varieties was lost amongst European Jews, who were not exposed to locust swarms. But Jews from North Africa maintained a tradition regarding kosher locusts.<br />
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The expert on identifying kosher species today is my colleague Dr. Zohar Amar, author of <i>Ha-Arbeh b'Mesoret Yisrael</i>. He has identified the species for which there is the most widespread tradition amongst North African Jews as <i>Schistocercia gregaria</i>, the Egyptian desert locust. This is by far the most common species of locust, and it is the species currently swarming in Egypt.<br />
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According to many authorities in Jewish law, even Ashkenazi Jews can adopt the North African tradition. This is because it is different from a situation such as that which existed with the stork, where certain communities had a tradition that it was a kosher bird, while others had a tradition that it was a non-kosher bird. With locusts, there is no tradition in Ashkenaz <i>against</i> these types of locusts being kosher; Ashkenazim simply lack a tradition either way. Therefore, according to many authorities, such as the late Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg, it is possible to rely upon the North African tradition regarding kosher varieties.<br />
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<a href="http://zootorah.com/assets/media/essays/feast/feast3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://zootorah.com/assets/media/essays/feast/feast3.jpg" width="198" /></a>I have eaten locusts on several occasions. They do not require a special form of slaughter, and one usually kills them by dropping them into boiling water. They can be cooked in a variety of ways - lacking any particular culinary skills, I usually just fry them with oil and some spices. (My wife, however, insists that I do not use her kitchen utensils for the task; she is locust-intolerant.) It's not the taste that is distinctive, so much as the tactile experience of eating a bug - crunchy on the outside with a chewy center!<br />
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The rationale for certain locusts being kosher may be a practical matter - when your crops are wiped out by locusts, at least you're not left with nothing to eat! But in modern Western society, eating bugs simply grosses out most people. Many probably see the Torah's laws of kosher locusts as a relic from a primitive, barbaric era. Yet an article in the<i> New Yorker </i>magazine (August 2011) noted that in a world with a burgeoning population of billions, insects provide a much more efficient and environmentally-friendly source of protein, amongst other benefits: <br />
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"From an ecological perspective, insects have a lot to recommend them. They are renowned for their small ‘foodprint’; being cold-blooded, they are about four time as efficient at converting feed to meat as are cattle, which waste energy keeping themselves warm. Ounce for ounce, many have the same amount of protein as beef–friendly grasshoppers have three times as much – and are rich in micronutrients like iron and zinc. Genetically, they are so distant from humans that there is little likelihood of diseases jumping species, as swine flu did. They are natural recyclers, capable of eating old cardboard, manure, and by-products from food manufacturing. And insect husbandry is humane: bugs like teeming, and thrive in filthy, crowded conditions." </blockquote>
Can you imagine what an impact it would make if Jews were known not for exploiting animals in factory-farming and indulging in massive gastronomic excesses, but instead for adopting a more environmentally and animal-friendly approach<i></i>? In fact, eating locusts doesn't even make you <i>fleishig</i>, so you could have a locust cheeseburger. I say, let's get back to our Biblical roots and tuck in. <i>Bon appétit!</i><br />
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Rabbi Dr. Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07903561261083292772noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-57442108292736498342012-12-23T20:41:00.002+02:002012-12-23T20:41:58.065+02:00The First Zoo Rabbi?From <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.israeldailypicture.com/2012/12/the-first-zoo-in-holy-land-tel-avivs.html">www.israeldailypicture.com/2012/12/the-first-zoo-in-holy-land-tel-avivs.html</a>
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<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/IsraelsHistory-APictureADaybeta/%7E3/pueW91eKI6k/the-first-zoo-in-holy-land-tel-avivs.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email" name="13bc896b4e0d2608_13bc70b489653329_1" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">The First Zoo in the Holy Land -- Tel Aviv's Zoo Created by a Refugee from Europe</a>
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Posted: 22 Dec 2012 11:03 AM PST</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RS6vAUGt1zo/UNX6BtYRUKI/AAAAAAAAGl8/kTQdIrNZWoQ/s1600/zoo+crocs.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RS6vAUGt1zo/UNX6BtYRUKI/AAAAAAAAGl8/kTQdIrNZWoQ/s320/zoo+crocs.jpg" width="320" /></a></td>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;">Tel Aviv <a href="http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/mpc2010003890/PP/" target="_blank">zoo's crocodiles</a> and turtles (circa 1939)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Rabbi Mordechai Schornstein served as a
rabbi in Copenhagen, Denmark, and moved to Palestine in 1935. On his
way to the Holy Land he stopped in Italy and purchased birds and small
mammals to start a pet store in Tel Aviv.</span> <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zm8gZeCG8zE/UNX7nidZhjI/AAAAAAAAGnM/Wlh-DSL0i5Q/s1600/zoo+buzzard.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="140" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zm8gZeCG8zE/UNX7nidZhjI/AAAAAAAAGnM/Wlh-DSL0i5Q/s200/zoo+buzzard.jpg" width="200" /></a></td>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/mpc2010003874/PP/" target="_blank">Griffon vulture</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">His collection grew, and in 1938 he opened
a zoo in a residential area of Tel Aviv. With the arrivals of lions,
tigers and elephants the zoo was forced to moved and re-housed at a
location not far from Tel Aviv's City Hall.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BF0KnCf9cU4/UNX8JA1hA3I/AAAAAAAAGnU/Ig9HwqGjK2U/s1600/zoo+hyena.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BF0KnCf9cU4/UNX8JA1hA3I/AAAAAAAAGnU/Ig9HwqGjK2U/s200/zoo+hyena.jpg" width="141" /></a></td>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/mpc2010003878/PP/" target="_blank">Hyena</a> played with zookeeper</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Urban growth, however, meant that Tel
Avivians did not want a zoo in their midst. Public awareness of animal
care and zoo overcrowding forced another move in 1980, this time to a
large Ramat Gan park nearby. The 250-acre "Ramat Gan Safari" now
contains some 1,600 animals.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JXlMyW2Ltzg/UNX8uj32AdI/AAAAAAAAGnc/axUBeFd285I/s1600/zoo+lion.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="131" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JXlMyW2Ltzg/UNX8uj32AdI/AAAAAAAAGnc/axUBeFd285I/s200/zoo+lion.jpg" width="200" /></a></td>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/mpc2010003892/PP/" target="_blank">Lion</a> in the Tel Aviv zoo</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">The Library of Congress-American Colony
Photographic Department captions lists the pictures as taken between
1936 and 1939. The zoo's timeline, however, suggests that 1939 was a
more likely date.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EqcE5yFjLgI/UNX-_nYTmZI/AAAAAAAAGp8/xvROFpqrRzI/s1600/zoo+monkey.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EqcE5yFjLgI/UNX-_nYTmZI/AAAAAAAAGp8/xvROFpqrRzI/s320/zoo+monkey.jpg" width="215" /></a></td>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/mpc2010003895/PP/" target="_blank">Monkey</a>, held by a keeper</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y531EZMDQlA/UNX9n3kwXiI/AAAAAAAAGno/ioi4rvv4-2M/s1600/zoo+ibex.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y531EZMDQlA/UNX9n3kwXiI/AAAAAAAAGno/ioi4rvv4-2M/s320/zoo+ibex.jpg" width="320" /></a></td>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;">"<a href="http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/mpc2010003876/PP/" target="_blank">Ibex</a>, the wild goat of the Bible"</td></tr>
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You can learn more about Rabbi Schornstein at <a href="http://www.pukkelryggede.com/schornstein.html">http://www.pukkelryggede.com/schornstein.html</a>Rabbi Dr. Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07903561261083292772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-53727068812737145532012-10-30T18:26:00.001+02:002012-10-30T18:26:26.463+02:00A Bird in the HandA resident of Ramat Bet Shemesh called me to say that a strange bird had entered their apartment and was unable to fly. They had been informed that I was the go-to person about such an event. When they told me that it had a curved beak, I promised to come right away.<br />
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It's a female kestrel, the most common type of falcon in Israel. It seems to have a broken wing, so I'm going to take her to the veterinary clinic at the Jerusalem Zoo. The Head of Animal Management at the Nature Authority told me that if it makes a full recovery, it will be released, but otherwise, I will be able to keep it. Today, it happily ate a hamster.<br />
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Soon, I will be publishing an article about medieval Jewish falconry.
Rabbi Dr. Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07903561261083292772noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-14470999701745828542012-05-17T16:28:00.002+03:002012-05-17T16:28:41.212+03:00A Baby Monitor<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9W8ZbNcBzWYMuADjqMP5Y8AY6WXphyg5NJnLcHRr3GJpS9z-Ax-Bg-rmBGg62PiXT7vMQgCjnGZVp7QletfpdJ0IuZZGQOZtpf2hqA0OZENyrYtzfdSCDt0qXZTLHUlBphC5CiJei5p7n/s1600/BabyMonitor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9W8ZbNcBzWYMuADjqMP5Y8AY6WXphyg5NJnLcHRr3GJpS9z-Ax-Bg-rmBGg62PiXT7vMQgCjnGZVp7QletfpdJ0IuZZGQOZtpf2hqA0OZENyrYtzfdSCDt0qXZTLHUlBphC5CiJei5p7n/s320/BabyMonitor.jpg" width="320" /></a>I recently acquired a new specimen for my forthcoming "<a href="http://www.zootorah.blogspot.com/2012/05/jewish-museum-of-natural-history.html">Jewish Museum of Natural History</a>." In the Torah's list of <i>sheratzim </i>- small creatures that transmit ritual impurity when dead - one of the creatures is called <i>koach</i>. According to some scholars, this refers to the monitor lizard. Monitors grow to be very large - the desert monitor in Israel grows to around four feet, while in other parts of the world monitors can reach ten feet or more. Accordingly, <i>koach</i>, which means "power," is a worthy name.<br />
<br />
The monitor that I acquired is a Savannah monitor. Fully grown, it can reach 4-5 feet in length, but the one that I purchased is just a baby, no more than six inches long. He's incredibly vicious - when I open the cage, he jumps up with an open mouth and tries to bite - but when I hold him for a while, he calms down, and hopefully he will become tamer in due course.<br />
<br />
Anyway, the day after I got him, I saw the following e-mail posted to the local Bet Shemesh mailing list:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Subject: Baby Monitor <br />
Date: Wed May 9, 2012 10:07 am<br />
Hi i am looking to buy or borrow a baby monitor from somebody. If anybody has one available please respond to this email.<br />
Thank You,
Yossi </blockquote>
Wow, I thought, isn't that a strange coincidence? The day after I get a baby monitor, somebody else wants one! And why does he want one, anyway?<br />
<br />
Then I realized that he wasn't looking for a baby monitor. He was looking for a <i>baby </i>monitor!Rabbi Dr. Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07903561261083292772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-6314376550657428342012-05-16T17:57:00.002+03:002012-05-16T17:57:17.012+03:00The Jewish Museum Of Natural History<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_RmxykEegWPr1mjHqXexAiIV3Onpo27a56AxIJItWnJUOZameV4ePbfyTw0C3rgQPjIozNiln-_Db7ZMIAdAdQMx6WIpeo_Olo8cCsbD4AccdOLrxQSThhuePMOS833n7HWPqSCPsQs/s1600/Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_RmxykEegWPr1mjHqXexAiIV3Onpo27a56AxIJItWnJUOZameV4ePbfyTw0C3rgQPjIozNiln-_Db7ZMIAdAdQMx6WIpeo_Olo8cCsbD4AccdOLrxQSThhuePMOS833n7HWPqSCPsQs/s320/Museum.jpg" width="240" /></a>I am thrilled to announce that plans are moving ahead for the development of "The Jewish Museum Of Natural History." The mission is outlined below, and you can download a full prospectus at <a href="http://www.zootorah.com/MuseumProspectus.pdf" target="_blank">this link</a>.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Mission </b></i></div>
<br />
The Jewish Museum of Natural History will be a unique institution. Its primary goals are twofold: To enhance appreciation and understanding of Scripture, Talmud and Jewish tradition via the natural world, and to thereby also enhance appreciation and understanding of the natural world itself. Visitors will learn about Scriptural and Midrashic symbolism, Jewish law and history, and the natural history of the Land of Israel.<br />
<br />
The museum will accomplish this mission via a combination of extraordinary live and inanimate exhibits, including taxidermy mounts and other intriguing biological artifacts. All exhibits, including live specimens, will be hands-on, since tactile experiences are the most powerful. Visits will be conducted exclusively via guided tours, in order to maximize the educational value. The Jewish Museum of Natural History will also serve as an invaluable educational resource, providing teacher training courses, extended lecture series, and trainee assistant curator programs for teens.<br />
<br />
The nucleus of the collection has already been assembled and is licensed by the Nature Reserves Authority. Plans are currently underway for a temporary facility, under the auspices of a Foundation created for the museum and its associated publications. The long-term goal is to construct a building for the museum in the city of Bet Shemesh. Although housing a population of 80,000 which is projected to double in the next decade, and home to a large Anglo population which regularly receives visitors from abroad, Bet Shemesh lacks any kind of tourist attraction. The Jewish Museum of Natural History will fill that gap in a unique way.Rabbi Dr. Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07903561261083292772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-16047690018867254142012-03-25T06:38:00.001+02:002012-03-25T06:38:58.209+02:00My Latest Bizarre Acquisition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8VvU6livYejtN67Q-OBmSF6b3mqm0R3FgoMLR0K4W00MKOo-C_2mrhyphenhyphenIq9uxBmGv2US_K7GnhH73mVlUo30RGjBVx6QRfITTzUpcgMAZDxOpnePUWqRiscKJ8Q6M9Z_IHUTZx7bKRYBot/s1600/Watts2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8VvU6livYejtN67Q-OBmSF6b3mqm0R3FgoMLR0K4W00MKOo-C_2mrhyphenhyphenIq9uxBmGv2US_K7GnhH73mVlUo30RGjBVx6QRfITTzUpcgMAZDxOpnePUWqRiscKJ8Q6M9Z_IHUTZx7bKRYBot/s640/Watts2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBA9IcC2hJqXIKRnDnUB3LeXzsslUOK_ahyphenhyphenF4Gul_4Y3yUQhz8TQnaUcxbG5uvCzymV8uhZl-OgFgzfWrQuYvWjCg0pYZkq7kuryJ0X3nVs3Ok39xoAsvdB_VXiAvxlPAQtYhWVBLZ578/s1600/Watts1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBA9IcC2hJqXIKRnDnUB3LeXzsslUOK_ahyphenhyphenF4Gul_4Y3yUQhz8TQnaUcxbG5uvCzymV8uhZl-OgFgzfWrQuYvWjCg0pYZkq7kuryJ0X3nVs3Ok39xoAsvdB_VXiAvxlPAQtYhWVBLZ578/s640/Watts1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Smile! His name is Watts, and if you can identify the species, you'll know why.Rabbi Dr. Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07903561261083292772noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-27852156303076026932012-01-23T16:09:00.003+02:002012-02-01T23:58:06.852+02:00February Lecture ScheduleHere is a list of my forthcoming lectures that are open to the public:<br />
<br />
<b>NEW YORK:</b><br />
<b><br />
Shabbos February 4th:</b> Beth Sholom, Cedarhurst<br />
Friday-8PM: “One People, Two Worlds: Rationalists & Mystics”<br />
Shabbos morning-11AM: “Battle for Beit Shemesh: The Evolution of Chareidim”<br />
5PM: “The Animal Kingdom in Jewish Thought<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday February 5th:</b><br />
12pm - "The Challenge of Dinosaurs" - at the YU Sefarim Sale.<br />
<br />
2:30 pm - "The Evolution of Orthodoxy: From Chasam Sofer to the Battles of Bet Shemesh"<br />
3:45 pm - "Beasts of Prey: Bears, Hawks and Other Predators in Jewish Thought"<br />
Washington Heights Congregation, 815 West 179th Street<br />
Entrance Donation: $10 for one lecture, $15 for both<br />
<a href="http://www.zootorah.com/Locations/BridgeShul3.pdf" target="_blank">Download flyer with details here </a><br />
<b><br />
Monday February 6th:</b><br />
7pm - "How (not) to Become a Heretic: What Must a Jew Believe?"<br />
Drisha Institute of Jewish Education<br />
37 West 65th Street, 5th Floor, New York<br />
Tuition: $18; June and July Immersion Program alumni no charge; $10 suggested donation for college students.<br />
<br />
<b>BALTIMORE:</b><br />
<b><br />
Wednesday February 8th:</b><br />
7pm at Beth Tfiloh’s Epstein Chapel: “Were the Rabbis always Right.” Free admission.<br />
<b><br />
Thursday February 9th:</b><br />
8pm - "Shaking the Heavens: Rabbinic Responses to Astronomical Revolutions" at Shomrei Emunah. Entrance donation $10. <a href="http://www.zootorah.com/Locations/ShakingtheHeavens.pdf">Download flyer here.</a><br />
<br />
<b>Shabbos February 11th: </b>Suburban Orthodox<br />
<br />
<b>WASHINGTON:</b><br />
<br />
<b>Sunday February 12th:</b><br />
9am - The Challenge of Creation - at Beth Sholom<br />
10.30am - Sacred Monsters - at Beth Sholom<br />
2-5pm - The Torah Tour of the National Zoo. <a href="http://www.zootorah.com/Locations/WashingtonTourPoster2012.pdf">Download flyer with details here</a>.<br />
7:30pm - "The Evolution of Orthodoxy and the Making of Charedim" - Kesher Israel. No admission fee, but RSVP required - see <a href="http://www.tinyurl.com/KIZooRabbi" target="_blank">www.tinyurl.com/KIZooRabbi</a>. <br />
<br />
<b>RIDES REQUEST:</b><br />
<br />
If anyone can give me a ride from Philadelphia to NY (preferably the 5 Towns) on the afternoon or evening of Monday Feb. 13th, please <a href="mailto:zoorabbi@zootorah.com" target="_blank">be in touch</a>!Rabbi Dr. Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07903561261083292772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-70103332170040291202011-10-10T16:16:00.001+02:002011-10-10T16:16:28.162+02:00The Zoo Torah Experience<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/V-8Jv1ydEII?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></div><br />
Are you going to be in Israel this Sukkot (or any other time)? Are you looking for something to do with your family? Why schlep to a public attraction where you'll be hot and squashed? Experience the wonders of the animal kingdom, with a Torah perspective, in Ramat Bet Shemesh, with the Zoo Torah Experience! <br />
<br />
. Encounter some extraordinary exotic animals - hands-on!<br />
<br />
. Try out the world's most unusual shofars!<br />
<br />
. Discover a variety of prehistoric fossils! <br />
<br />
. Put your head in the jaws of a shark! (Body of shark not attached)<br />
<br />
. And much, much more! <br />
<br />
The Zoo Torah Experience is an educational and entertaining hands-on presentation, under the guidance of the Zoo Rabbi, Natan Slifkin, in his private collection at his home. You and your family will learn so much about Torah and wildlife, and you'll have a terrific time too! The price per group (up to twelve people, for a one-hour session) is $100; the deluxe two-hour experience is $180. For reservations, write to <a href="mailto:zoorabbi@zootorah.com">zoorabbi@zootorah.com</a> or call 077-332-0678.<br />
<br />
"I would like to personally recommend Rav Slifkin's Zoo Torah Family Experience. Rav Slifkin leads your family or group on an outdoor and indoor tour of his amazing collection of animals. All my children, ranging in age from toddler to 16 were captivated by Rav Slifkin's explanations and were thrilled to be able to handle some of the critters. Normally, on such a tour, my kids would huddle somewhere on the side, unwilling to push forward for a closer look, but the tours are private, so my kids were front and center the entire time. Rav Slifkin's collection of shofarot is stunning; you are unlikely to encounter such a collection anywhere else. There is plenty of time for questions, the tour is right here in RBS, and, quite frankly, we loved it!" - Gina Fishman, RBS residentRabbi Dr. Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07903561261083292772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-30747836164804743512010-12-16T09:38:00.004+02:002010-12-16T10:52:42.575+02:00Wildlife of Ramat Bet Shemesh<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.jon-atkinson.com/Large%20Images/La_Golden_Jackal.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 480px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.jon-atkinson.com/Large%20Images/La_Golden_Jackal.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Ramat Bet Shemesh, where I live, is home to many immigrants from the US who are often terrified at reports of wildlife entering the city from the adjacent hills at night. Fear not! The only dangerous intruders are of the two-legged variety.<br /><br />If you see any of the local fauna making a visit, count yourself lucky to have such a special experience! There are foxes, jackals, hedgehogs and mongooses that come in frequently, and I once came across a (dead) striped hyena just outside Ramat Bet Shemesh. All these animals are entirely harmless (unless rabid) and are usually terrified of people. Snakes and scorpions can be deadly, but they make every effort to avoid people. Lizards are entirely harmless, and easy to identify - slow moving lizards with bulging eyes are chameleons, and the pale lizards barking and scampering on the walls at night are geckos.<br /><br />There are also the four deer situated on the traffic circle outside Beis Tefilah, affectionately named Prancer, Dancer, Dasher and Rudolph by the locals. In fact, these are not reindeer, and nor are they the Israeli deer (Mesopotamian fallow deer); rather, they are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_deer">European red deer</a>, similar to the American elk. I don't know why they are in Ramat Bet Shemesh.<br /><br />The most exotic wildlife can be found in the Pinat Chai in my garden. People are welcome to peer in by climbing on the wall along the steps connecting Nachal Shimshon to Nachal Raziel. Look out for Billy Bob and Mary Jane, my two huge iguanas, generously sponsored for the benefit of the community by Paul Shaviv of Toronto and other people (please let me know if you'd like to be named). There's more wildlife and wonders inside my house, but for that, you'll have to reserve the Zoo Torah Family Experience - $100 for one hour for groups of up to twelve people.Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04488707201313046847noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-27260316432758563042010-11-29T20:40:00.001+02:002010-11-29T20:40:59.572+02:00Yoda Bat Discovered<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/06/article-1318093-0B7F0232000005DC-313_634x585.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 634px; height: 585px;" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/06/article-1318093-0B7F0232000005DC-313_634x585.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1318093/Bat-resembling-Star-Wars-Yoda-discovered-Papua-New-Guinea-rainforest.html"><br />http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1318093/Bat-resembling-Star-Wars-Yoda-discovered-Papua-New-Guinea-rainforest.html</a>Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04488707201313046847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-26530157744498002882010-10-27T15:50:00.004+02:002010-10-27T18:38:32.485+02:00New Iguana!<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tZymAxZaTyg?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tZymAxZaTyg?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Thanks to the generosity of two readers, I was finally able to get a mate for my iguana! At nearly four feet in length, he is almost (but not quite) full grown. Next time you are in Ramat Bet Shemesh, walk past my garden and take a look!Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04488707201313046847noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-56565793605670858532010-09-16T20:52:00.000+02:002010-09-16T20:53:39.857+02:00Kapparos(Extracted from my book <span style="font-style:italic;">Man & Beast</span>)<br /><br />On the days preceding Yom Kippur, some have a custom to designate a chicken as a scapegoat for their own sins. They recite a statement designating it as such while passing it around their head, and the bird is then slaughtered. Many have the custom of then giving the chicken to the poor. (Some have the custom to use money for the procedure instead.)<br /><br />Two of the early authorities, Rashba[1] and Ramban,[2] strongly protest against this custom, considering it to fall under the prohibition of “following the ways of the Emorites.” The Shulchan Aruch likewise disapproves of this custom.[3] However, Rabbi Moshe Isserliss, in his glosses to the Shulchan Aruch, notes that since this is an ancient custom that has widespread support, one should not dissuade people from it.<br /><br />But what of the aspect of causing suffering to the birds? There is no real reason why it should be any different to any case of slaughtering a chicken to eat. Passing a bird around one’s head can certainly be done in a way that does not cause undue distress, although unfortunately inexperienced people may not know how to handle it in such a way.<br /><br />The bigger problem lies in how the entire process is commonly facilitated nowadays. In pre-war Europe, a person would simply take a chicken from his yard, or from the local farmer. Today, the chickens are packed en masse into crates and shipped to city centers where they wait for people to take their turn in performing the kapparos process. This commonly results in the birds being kept in horrifically cramped conditions without food, water or shade.<br /><br />While it is permitted to cause suffering to animals for material or spiritual benefit, the suffering in this case is quite needless. It would seem that causing needless suffering to animals is a Biblical prohibition that far outweighs the value of a custom. Furthermore, it would seem to fundamentally negate much of the significance of the kapparos ritual. The Tur states that after slaughtering the chicken, there is a custom to throw its innards on the roof for birds to eat. Taz[4] and Aruch haShulchan[5] state that the reason for this is to show compassion for other creatures and thereby to earn Divine compassion.[6] On the eve of the Day of Judgment, when there is a special need to earn Divine mercy, it is surely counterproductive to inflict needless suffering upon creatures.<br /><br />Fortunately, in recent years, people have gradually become sensitive to this issue, and positive steps are slowly being taken to rectify this situation.<br /><br /><br />NOTES<br /><br />[1] Shailos U’Teshuvos HaRashba 1:395.<br /><br />[2] Cited in Orchos Chaim, hilchos erev yom hakipurim 1.<br /><br />[3] Orach Chaim 605:1. Several other objections to this custom are given in other works, such as that the great volume of birds being slaughtered under rushed conditions is likely to lead in disqualifications in the slaughtering process.<br /><br />[4] Orach Chaim 605:4.<br /><br />[5] Orach Chaim 605:4.<br /><br />[6] Others say that it is because the chicken may have benefited from stolen foods and therefore we must limit our benefit from it.Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04488707201313046847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-68446509635374612702010-08-17T15:31:00.003+03:002010-08-17T15:48:51.535+03:00The Incredible Axolotl<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_i3FQpWByOYA/TGqBT2ljleI/AAAAAAAADGk/OE_mp8Ynkps/s1600/August+2010_0187.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 480px; height: 242px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_i3FQpWByOYA/TGqBT2ljleI/AAAAAAAADGk/OE_mp8Ynkps/s320/August+2010_0187.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506355672484386274" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here is a photo of my latest and weirdest pet: A GFP leucistic axolotl. Behind all that jargon is a fascinating story. The axolotl is a larval form of a certain salamander. Just like frogs have larval forms of tadpoles, and butterflies have larval forms of caterpillars, salamanders have larval forms which are aquatic creatures with feathery gills, a finned tail, and no eyelids. But axolotls are unique in that they are able to breed while in larval form; in fact, under normal conditions, they <span style="font-weight: bold;">never </span>metamorphose into adults.<br /><br />This particular axolotl is a leucistic variety, which means that it is a mutation that lacks pigment (wild colored axolotls are dark in color). But there's something even more unusual about it. It is from a variety that has been genetically combined with GFP, a Fluorescent Green Protein from a jellyfish, which makes it glow bright green under ultraviolet light, as you can see in this picture.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.livescience.com/images/axolotl-glow-100204-04.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 236px;" src="http://images.livescience.com/images/axolotl-glow-100204-04.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Why were axolotls genetically modified in this way? It wasn't for the shtick of it. Instead, it relates to yet another amazing aspect of them. My axolotl had one his legs eaten by his tankmate. But within a few days, he had grown a new one that looked indistinguishable from the others. Axolotls were modified with the GFP protein in order that parts of GFP axolotls can be transplanted onto other axolotls and researchers can use ultraviolet light to track cellular generation - read <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701131314.htm">this article</a> for the full story.<br /><br />Amazing! That's why I love the animal kingdom - there always something incredible to discover.Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04488707201313046847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-10251269257485433512010-04-13T12:10:00.002+03:002010-04-13T12:11:29.376+03:00Now That's a Turtle<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://market.kingsnake.com/image/876677.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 340px; height: 639px;" src="http://market.kingsnake.com/image/876677.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Too bad it's <a href="http://market.kingsnake.com/detail.php?cat=39&de=653435">beyond my budget</a>.Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04488707201313046847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-58888383907209518652010-03-21T08:31:00.003+02:002010-03-21T08:52:44.437+02:00Television Special!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.beastsofthebible.com/images/header-left.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 250px;" src="http://www.beastsofthebible.com/images/header-left.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I am thrilled to announce that "Beasts of the Bible," the documentary that I was involved with making last year, is finally going to air! "Beasts of the Bible" investigates fabulous creatures that appear in the Bible and related texts, interviewing a range of different experts, filming in numerous international locations, and using state-of-the-art CGI to bring these creatures to life! It will appear in the U.S. on Animal Planet, on Thursday, April 1st, from 8pm-10pm. The Canadian premiere is on VisionTV, Wednesday March 31st at 9 p.m. For more details, a photo gallery and a trailer, check out <a href="http://www.beastsofthebible.com">www.beastsofthebible.com</a>. Over the next few days, I will be posting some pictures and video clips from behind the scenes. I have not yet seen the final documentary myself, which means that I don't know how many of my sequences will be appearing, nor can I vouch for the accuracy of anything else that appears in it. But it will certainly be a highly educational and entertaining show! Don't miss it!Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04488707201313046847noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-37627962273707025292010-01-24T17:11:00.001+02:002010-01-24T17:12:39.148+02:00Best Bus Ever<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/S0QC7jbbVTI/AAAAAAABOIc/JH1phTrHRqk/s800/4219293984_b3a901ba90_o.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 800px; height: 477px;" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/S0QC7jbbVTI/AAAAAAABOIc/JH1phTrHRqk/s800/4219293984_b3a901ba90_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04488707201313046847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-58600322963312488772010-01-22T15:42:00.005+02:002010-01-22T15:50:35.708+02:00New York Lecture TourHere are details for my forthcoming lecture tour. I will be adding events to it as I finalize them. If you would like to arrange a presentation in your school/ community, please email me.<br /><br />Sunday February 7th:<br /><br />Morning, 10am – 1pm <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Torah Tour of the Bronx Zoo</span><br />Price: Adults $20, children $15 (does not include admission)<br />For registration (required), email zoorabbi@zootorah.com<br /><a href="http://www.zootorah.com/Locations/BronxTourPoster2010.pdf">Download flyer here</a><br /><br />Sunday afternoon at Washington Heights Congregation (The “Bridge Shul”), 815 West 179th Street:<br />2.30 pm<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sacred Monsters: Mysterious & Mythical Creatures of Torah, Midrash and Talmud</span><br />4.00 pm <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Rationalist Judaism: The Unknown, Endangered, Dangerous, & Life-saving Approach to Torah</span><br />Entrance Donation: $10 for one lecture, $15 for both<br /><a href="http://www.zootorah.com/Locations/BridgeShul2.pdf">Download flyer here</a>Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04488707201313046847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-76030667098827613482009-12-12T20:54:00.002+02:002009-12-13T13:15:56.039+02:00Leopards and ChanukahFor an audio shiur on leopards and Chanukah, click <a href="http://torahinmotion.org/store/prod_search.asp?category=All&speaker=132&keywords=&mode=1">here</a>, and scroll down to "<span class="style29"><strong>Zoology and Torah (Part 3)</strong></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">, </span>December 6, 2009." It's just 99 cents. Here's the accompanying YouTube clip:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZEhPGmwC_Jk&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZEhPGmwC_Jk&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04488707201313046847noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023153716190402200.post-1934826215665828462009-11-16T10:11:00.007+02:002009-11-16T10:24:22.088+02:00Help a Lonely Iguana with a Shidduch!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_i3FQpWByOYA/R_HwhVG97uI/AAAAAAAAAkA/YpFS5H0htu0/s400/August%20081.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_i3FQpWByOYA/R_HwhVG97uI/AAAAAAAAAkA/YpFS5H0htu0/s400/August%20081.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Several readers of this blog live in Ramat Bet Shemesh and enjoy looking at all the animals in my Pinat Chai. Everyone's favorite animal is Mary Jane, my large iguana. She's a magnificent creature, but somewhat lonely. Large male iguanas are hard to come by, but right now somebody in Israel is selling one, five feet long, for $130. However, my wife has pointed out to me that I have already exceeded my animal-buying budget for this year and about 150 years into the future. So, if any readers would like to watch a huge male iguana cavorting around my garden and swimming in the pond, please feel free to donate via the link below! No donation is too small!<br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><br /><input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_s-xclick"><br /><input type="hidden" name="hosted_button_id" value="9733407"><br /><input type="image" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" border="0" name="submit" alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!"><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" height="1"><br /></form>Natan Slifkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04488707201313046847noreply@blogger.com4