The Cat in the Sources of Chazal 4: "If the Torah had not been given, we would have learned modesty from the cat"

In this section we will no longer deal with the "shoner", although even when the Sages mention the cat as a cat, there is still no certainty, and certainly not with "authorized" reference, that it is indeed a cat and not a shoner, since, unfortunately, the literature of the Sages is not dated scientifically, chronologically, schematically, and factually. Therefore, and this is why the prophet "weeps", we cannot, empirically of course, present a dating of clear processes, their beginning and their end, and certainly not in terms of their continuity, and that is a great pity. 

However, we can say with almost certainty that the Amoraim of the Talmud, the Jerusalemites on the one hand and the Babylonians on the other, were generally members of the first and second generations of Amoraim, which can be assumed to have arisen from the continuity in the attitude towards the shonar/cat from the end of the Mishnah, that is, although of course not precisely, from the second quarter of the third century CE. 

In any case, it should be noted here, although I will not put my hand on the fire in support of the following assumption, that there is a kind of confirmation of the relative paucity of evidence in this period, one that went through severe crises in the Roman Empire, what is known in historiographic terminology, the Great Crisis, somewhat complex, in the Roman Empire, and what is called the "Period of Anarchy", one that ended towards the end of the third century AD, and whose blows were severe and stinging, among others, for the people of Israel, as well as for the surrounding peoples, in economic, social and similar aspects. This situation undoubtedly affected the situation of cats in the area where the Jews lived at that time and in particular the attitude towards them. 

And perhaps this is what the baraita in Tractate Horiot (13, p. 2) intended, which listed five things/precipitants that cause a person to forget his Talmud, and one of them is "the food that the cat ate." It should be emphasized here without question that this is a "cat" and not a "shoner." It should teach us a thing or two about the acclimatization of the cat in real homes. It is clear that we are dealing with a purely culinary warning and caution, perhaps against the background of the cat's appetite and desire to consume food that was in the house, in the apartment. This health-hygienic warning implies the presence of the cat in the apartment and perhaps the humane care of this animal by the family members. And one that took up a considerable amount of time and as a result, the person may neglect his personal study and his general preoccupation with issues of halakhah, their translation and interpretation. The danger to a person's health is exacerbated by the fear of "forgetting his Talmud," and perhaps indirectly teaches that this is a phenomenon itself. A thousand witnesses testify to the cat's presence among the Jewish population.  

However, the Sages included the cat in the list of impure species, and in the ruling Zutra (Good Lesson), Leviticus, Parashat Shemini, 27, p. XNUMX, the halakhah is explained according to the rule mentioned in the Torah – “everything goes on its own two feet” (Leviticus XNUMX:XNUMX). And let us not be confused, this ruling did not invalidate the “right” of the cat’s existence and its presence in the environment of human existence. 

The Sages recognized a benefit, sometimes great, in the presence of a cat in the home, near it, and in the environment in general, such as the passage in the Babylonian Talmud (Shabbat 110, p. 1) which claims that due to the fact that the cat preys on snakes, including various vipers, it can be watered with water that has been discovered, since snake venom is harmless. It should be noted that snake venom has a lesser effect on the blood clotting of cats than on the blood clotting of other animals. 

The modesty of the cat was a trait that the sages recognized and even treated with seriousness, such as Rabbi Yochanan bar Nafha of Tiberias, who was behind the initial step towards the signing of the Talmud of Palestine. Thus, he claimed that "if the Torah had not been given, we would have learned modesty from the cat" (Talmud Bavli Eruvin 10, p. 2). Some interpret this as a trait that the cat uses in a modest manner in general, and others interpret it as the cat's custom of burying its feces. And the real reason, biological and research, that sees this phenomenon as a somewhat feline trait is to deal with the fear of exposing the cat's location in general, in its residence, and in the vicinity of its residence to other predators. In any case, the stated statement of Rabbi Yochanan, one of the greatest sages of the Talmud, and in particular in the Sanhedrin of Palestine, can be presented as truly revolutionary in his generation and in those that preceded it and even beyond its time. If we delve a little into this, we can see the Rabbi Yochanan's position emphasizes the special value of the cat and its miraculous qualities, which are allegorically equivalent to the words of the Torah. Thus, we simply pause in the presence of Rabbi Yochanan's statement, which is an almost sacred statement, innovative and original in its own right. And this will be emphasized in the following passage, which is also unprecedented.  

In any case, Rabbi Yochanan's decisive statement regarding the "modesty of the cat" and in comparison and in no small context with the issue of the giving of the Torah, seems at first glance to be a sloppy intellectual, Gothic, Torah, and Jewish historical act, that is, to place the events of the giving of the Torah in a somewhat "feline" context, seems at first glance to be incomprehensible, unacceptable, and perhaps even "blasphemous." However, this statement by Rabbi Yochanan, in the quasi-revolutionary context of the phenomenon of "felineness" in the Jewish home and its consequences, seems groundbreaking, somewhat revolutionary, indicating the importance of the presence of the cat in the Jewish family and therefore recommends that its presence in the Jewish home be encouraged and strongly recommended. And certainly, I assume, beyond the dimensions of the above-mentioned proportion in the connection between the Torah and its laws and the modest characterization of the cat, we can learn from this in an unambiguous way how much importance the Sages attributed to the presence of the cat in a person's home.  

Moreover, and it will not be easy for us, here as in other places, the "schooner" is not mentioned at all and in its place the "cat" appears, while the conclusions that arise from this sentence in connection with the presence of the cat in the Jewish home are understandable and clear.  

Moreover, this statement by Rabbi Yochanan undoubtedly promoted the acceptance of cats into the domestic sphere and its environment, and not only for the reason that this animal "cleans the house" (more on this later) of vermin and dangerous creatures in general. Thus we learned from Tractate Baba Kama (p. 1) in the instruction that "one does not raise a thin animal..." ... including cats "that may peck (=clean) the house of various vermin, for example." The prohibition refers to the desert region, apparently because it is saturated with dangerous creatures from the realm of reptiles and vermin. Such a statement was in the nature of encouraging the raising of cats in homes. 

In the laws of reciting the Shema, it is stated that cat feces are legally equivalent to human feces and should be kept away from while reciting the Shema. Among the reasons given for this is the phenomenon of raising cats in homes. Again, the comparison in the relationship between humans and cats, and in the above cases, is undoubtedly revolutionary. 

White cat, black cat in the Jewish outside world

In Jewish folklore, there are stories in which the cat protects the house and family members from evil spirits or witchcraft, which may have increased the positive awareness of the cat and its interesting function in the Jewish family's home. In addition, and in this context, it should be noted that the cat is considered an animal with a high level of intuition that is able to feel the presence of spirits or supernatural forces. This teaches us that in Jewish folklore, people generally avoided linking the color of the cat's fur to its character and the positive or negative connection to its behavior and its connection to one world or another in supernatural mythology. 

And from here we will naturally briefly move on to the subject of the color of the cat's fur, and before relating it to Jewish sources, we will turn to non-Jewish information and begin with testimonies, with descriptions related to the color of the cat's fur. First, we will turn to descriptions related to the color of the cat's black fur. And we will see how this color has connotations opposite to what is accepted among quite a few populations around our world. 

In the US, for example, Black Cat Day is celebrated on August 17.8th and in the UK on October 27.10th. 

There are cultures where black cats bring good luck and there are places where the opposite is true. Britain, Ireland and Japan consider the black cat to bring love, livelihood and good luck. The same is true in Germany. 

In Celtic mythology, the figure of the cat is known to be associated with soul stealing and witchcraft, especially in the Highlands of Scotland. In the USA, for example, Black Cat Day is celebrated on August 17.8th and in the UK on October 27.10th. 

The black cat is one of the symbols of Halloween, the American holiday, and its image adorns various holiday decorations. 

On the other hand, the black cat is a sailor's best friend. Every British ship also had black cats to catch mice. 

In Israel, on the other hand, it is more difficult today to find an adoptive home for a black cat – and this is based on and against the backdrop of old superstitions and superstitions. 

In Japan, there is a cafe dedicated to black cats, and in the French capital, Paris, there is a special cafe to this day - cafe de chats - decorated from top to bottom with photographs and paintings of cats, not to mention the multitude of cats, of various species, that fill every corner of the cafe. And it's hard for me not to recall and mention the Greek song To G(k)rizo Gati = "The Gray Cat" in the legendary performance of the Greek singer Aliki (Aliki) Wiklaki in 1957 in the cha-cha-cha rhythm. During the song, it should be noted, the words Miau Miau Gatula appeared, "We were a kitten." The song gained worldwide distribution and "anchored" the world's song charts for several months. And by the way, Aliki visited our country and met with IDF soldiers and especially with the soldiers of the Israeli Navy. 

On the other hand, black cats have long been associated with mystery and satanism, and a black cat is found near every witch. And it is clear that this has to do with the nocturnal, mysterious and somewhat deceptive atmosphere associated with the hours of darkness. 

That is, in light of the above evidence, both modern and ancient, it is possible to attribute "proof" of the cat's fur color to its satanic nature on the one hand and its positive uniqueness on the other. 

Embarrassed? Not at all, because there is no point in arguing about the logic of the "blacks" versus the "whites," because the former are right and the latter are right. 

And what about the cat's light, white fur color? Well, the ancient Egyptian king Osorkun II kept a white cat in a special temple and attributed supernatural heavenly powers to it. Perhaps astonishing and amazing compared to the above descriptions is the fact that in this ancient period the white cat was worshipped as a god and attributed to it qualities of purity, good luck and sublimity. The cat gods were equal to the sun, the moon and the earth and the penalty for killing a cat in ancient Egypt was death. 

Let us therefore turn to the central, interesting and almost unique text that refers to the color of the cat's fur and what is implied by it. 

In the Babylonian Talmud, in Tractate Baba Kama, 11:2, we quote: "Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: They raise ungrateful dogs (hunting dogs) and cats and monkeys and squirrel rats because they are likely to clean the house. So is it permissible to raise a cat? And they reply – it is not difficult – (this) is the words of Rabbi Shimon who said that it is permissible – they were said in a way (a stingy, stingy, etc.) (about a black cat). Is it (this) the words of Rav who said that it is forbidden were said in a way (about a white cat) and they make it difficult: And he (and is it not) in the same act of Rav, this way (it was a black cat). The Gemara answers: It is only Uchma bar Chiver (that the black cat was the son of a white cat) and asks: And is it not a matter of concern to him (and indeed this matter was sufficient for him to the Rabbanah, because he asked Rabbanah: What is Uchma bar Chivura (a black cat is the son of a white cat, what is its ruling?) And if this was the case, why was he doubtful about the matter? And they explain: Because it was sufficient for Rabbanah that this was Uchma bar Chivura bar Uchma (in the case of a black cat being the son of a white cat being the son of a black cat), whereas the act that occurred before Rav Uchma bar Chivura bar Chivura (in the case of a black cat being the son of a white cat being the son of a white cat) was. 

Sounds a bit fanciful or more. Even so, what conclusions can we draw from this passage? First – the presence of the cat in the homes of the Amoraic generation was proven; second – outstanding sages and well-known public figures dealt, among other things, with the presence of the cat in the home, to teach about its explosiveness for well-known reasons discussed here; third – the debate over the color of the cat's fur, which, as mentioned, and not only in Jewish tradition, raised quite a few questions and problems, sometimes for magical reasons; fourth – it seems here that sages debated about the color of the cat's fur in question, when an explicit ruling on the matter could have raised quite a few questions and sometimes embarrassments among the Jewish public; Fifth – In a somewhat grotesque manner, the Sages sought to find some kind of compromise in this matter, between a black cat and a white cat, one that would allow both the cat with white fur and the one with black fur to be bred; sixth – from the almost complete lack of sources and the absence of references by the Sages and various interpretations regarding the colors of the cat's fur, its signs and meanings, it can be said to their credit that what interested them was the cat's behavior and not any connection to the color of its fur, even though if they wanted they could have tied up threads of interpretations "from the beginning to the latest message." 

Correlation between cat color and its degree of aggression

And what does science say about this? Veterinarians have found that cats' aggression towards humans may be correlated with the color of their fur. It has long been accepted that cats with white fur or tortoiseshell-like features have antisocial behaviors. It has also been proven that white cats have a higher percentage of deafness than other cats. This defect is genetic and has been scientifically proven, and it is possible that the lack of hearing, which is one of the significant components of the cats' defense mechanism, has made them more violent and aggressive. 

Also, a study found that females with orange-black-and-white (tricolor) and gray-and-white colors were generally more aggressive toward humans. Gray, black, white, or striped cats were calmer. 

And in my house, where cats also live alongside dogs, it turns out that the ginger is characterized by nervousness and aggression alongside laziness, and the tricolor is assertive on one hand and indulgent on the other. 

Conclusion? In the eye of the beholder… 

And in conclusion 

We have so far reviewed in a small number of chapters the image of the cat in Judaism in ancient sources, the Bible, the Mishnah, the Talmud, and here and there also midrashim. Our conclusion was, as expected or not, that we found almost no evidence, solid and clear in terms of reliability, so that we could confidently say that we have verified, reliable and trustworthy information about the cat in the various stages of its "development" reflected in ancient Jewish literature. 

At the time, I published a long and detailed article on the "Haydan" website about the dog in the sources of the Sages, and despite its length and details in general, to which I could have added several more pages, I remained in my latest research on the cat, of course relatively quite dull and disappointed to a considerable extent. 

However, despite the problematic nature of the biblical and scholastic sources discussed here, I can say with almost certainty that almost clear traces of the cat's footprints and paws have been found in the literature under discussion. It is clear that we are dealing with a kind of prehistoric and historical ruler for the presence of the cat in ancient Jewish society, starting with the "islands" and "fleets" in biblical literature, through the "scholarships" of the ancient era that followed, through a kind of developmental process between the "scholar"/wild cat and the cat itself. I was impressed that the attitude of the Sages toward the cat, and as it occupied an interesting place among the Jewish community and even in its dormitories, had improved greatly and was quite appreciated. In this regard, it is sufficient to compare the "scholar" in "Chad Gadya", the perhaps slightly terrifying predator, with the cat in the relatively later scholastic sources.   

And in closing, as a kind of chronological, phonetic and historical sewing in general, I would like to mention that alongside the French "cafe de chats", to this day, that is, the "cafe of cats", I came across a Hebrew/Greek website called "The Island of Cats in Greece" by Ruth Tsartafati, a book published by Am Oved, 1980, with the following in Chapter XNUMX: "... I have never seen so many cats in my life. Families, families, families. They lie on the promenade and along the quay, gray, white, black, striped and spotted cats. The adults warm their fur a lot in the sun, closing their eyes peacefully and without worry, while the young ones are busy playing hide-and-seek and "catch" (the quotation marks are mine - Y.S.), chasing the tails of their friends between the legs of the tables and chairs of the cafes... A few cats sit still on the paving stones, each cat in its own square like a On a chessboard. Many of them sit at the tables, among teapots and porcelain cups, or relax comfortably in straw chairs as honored guests..." and so on and so forth, with the description accompanied by impressive and romantic drawings accordingly. 

It should be noted that for the ancient Greeks, cats were actually a symbol of the goddess Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and the moon, and in light of mythology, cats were created with the intention of mocking the lion (from "Greece with Orit", June 2019). 

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