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Tzaddikim and Their Animals
From The Vision of Eden: Animal Welfare and Vegetarianism in Jewish Law and Mysticism by Rabbi David Sears

Once the donkey of Rabbi Chaninah Ben Dosah was stolen. The robbers tied it up in a yard and put before it straw, barley, and water, but it would not eat or drink. They said, "Why should we let it die and befoul our yard?" So they got up and opened the gate and let it out. The donkey walked along braying until it reached [the house of] Rabbi Chaninah Ben Dosa. When it arrived, the rabbi's son heard its voice and said to his father, "That sounds like our animal." The rabbi said, "Open the door, my son, for it has nearly died of hunger." Immediately, the lad opened the door and placed before it straw, barley, and water. Then it ate and drank. Thus, it was said, "Just as the tzaddikim of old were saintly, so were their beasts"[1] (Avos D'Rabbi Nosson 8:8).

[Rabbi Yossi] owned a donkey that he allowed people to rent. When the day was over, those who hired it would place their payment on its back, and the donkey would make its way home to its master. However, if the amount were too little or too much, it would not go. One day a pair of sandals was placed on its back. The donkey would not budge until they were removed [and the fee had been substituted]. Only then did it proceed (Talmud: Ta'anis 24a).

Once there was an Israelite who owned a cow with which he ploughed his field. He fell on bad times, and was forced to sell it to a certain non-Jew. The new owner ploughed with it for six days. On the Sabbath, he also took it out to plough, but it lay down beneath its yoke. He began to beat it, but the animal would not budge from its place. Seeing that his efforts were in vain, he went to the Israelite who sold it to him and said, "Come take your cow, for she grieves after her former master. No matter how much I beat her, she refuses to budge from her place."

The Israelite realized that the cow refused to work because it had been taught to rest on the Sabbath. "I will get her to stand up," he said. When he came, he whispered into her ear, "Heifer, heifer, you know that when you were mine, you ploughed all week and rested on the Sabbath. But now, because of my sins, you have been sold to a non-Jew. Therefore, I beseech you, stand up and plough." She immediately arose and began to plough.

The non-Jew said, "I beg you, take back your cow. But before I leave, tell me what you did to her ear. I wore myself out with her and even beat her, but she would not get up."
The Israelite began to mollify him and said, "It was not witchcraft or sorcery I performed. I merely whispered such-and-such in her ear, and she stood up and ploughed."

Immediately, the non-Jew began to tremble and exclaimed, "If a cow that has neither speech nor intellect recognizes her Creator, how can I, a human being whom my Maker formed in His own image and to whom He gave intellect, fail to recognize Him?" Straightaway, he went and converted to Judaism. Eventually he became an accomplished Torah scholar who was known as Yochanan Ben Torsa ("Yochanan Son Of A Cow"). To this day, our rabbis cite his rulings. And if you wonder that through a cow a man was brought under the wings of the Shechinah (Divine Presence), recall that it is through a cow - the Red Heifer - that the purification of all Israel is accomplished (Midrash: Pesikta Rabbasi 14).

Rabbi Chaim Ibn Attar (1696-1743), author of Ohr HaChaim, earned his livelihood as a silversmith. However, he always made Torah study his primary occupation, and his craft secondary. He would sit engrossed in Torah study, until his last coin was spent, and only then did he engage in worldly matters. Once two ministers from the court of the King of Morocco came to him with a certain amount of gold. "The King has heard that you are the foremost expert in your craft," they said. "Therefore, he sent us to commission you to fashion a piece of the finest jewelry in honor of his daughter's wedding. You will be paid a princely sum. However, you must complete the work in ten days."

At that time, our master, Rabbi Chaim, still had enough money to cover his daily expenses. Therefore, he put away the gold, and returned to his holy books. However, upon his return home, he forgot all about his commission, due to his preoccupation with his studies.

On the appointed day, the two royal ministers returned and asked for the finished piece of jewelry. Then Rabbi Chaim remembered the matter, and confessed that he had not yet begun his work. Since the emissaries were both rabid Jew-haters, they were overjoyed to hear that they would have an opportunity to denounce Rabbi Chaim. They returned to the palace and told the King that the Jewish silversmith had rebelled willfully, and thus had dishonored the crown. At this, the King commanded that Rabbi Chaim be cast into a pit of lions, this being the punishment for treason.

When the police came to arrest Rabbi Chaim, he asked for permission to bring along a volume of Psalms, a few holy books, and his talis and tefillin. They laughed at him and exclaimed, "Do you think you are going to a hotel? You are on your way to be killed in a lions' den!" However, the Jewish sage paid no heed to their words, and packed his bag. Unsuspecting, his wife asked him, "Where are you going?" He answered simply, "I shall return soon."

They took their prisoner straight to the lions' den and threw him in. The lion keeper opened an overhead window to see what would happen. However, he was amazed by what his eyes beheld. There sat our master, Rabbi Chaim, wearing his talis and tefillin, praying and studying in a loud voice, while in front of him crouched the lions in a semi-circle, like students before their teacher, listening attentively to his words. Overcome with trembling, the lion keeper ran to inform the King. After hearing his report, the King and his royal entourage proceeded to the lions' den to see with his own eyes this awesome sight. Then he proclaimed before everyone, "Now I know that there is a God of Israel!" The King commanded that Rabbi Chaim and his belongings be retrieved from the pit, whereupon he asked him for an explanation of the miracle.

Rabbi Chaim answered, "I refrained from my work because of my immersion in the holy Torah, therefore the Torah protected and saved me!"

The King asked his forgiveness, and sent him home in peace and with great honor (Toldos Ohr HaChaim, p. 11, ff. 4, citing Sefer Ma'aseh HaGedolim al HaTorah).

Rabbi Yisrael of Rizhin (1797-1850) related how the Baal Shem Tov and his disciples once prayed the Afternoon Service before the Sabbath in the open fields. The flocks grazing nearby gathered together and began to bleat loudly, while the Chassidim prayed. The Rizhiner Rebbe explained that this was because during his prayer the Baal Shem Tov elevated all the lower levels of Creation, until even the cattle and sheep acquired the knowledge of their Maker, and they all cried out to God with him.

According to Rabbi Elimelech of Grodzisk (1824-1892), when the Baal Shem Tov uttered the words, "[He restored the destitute from poverty,] and established families like a flock" (Psalms 107:41), the sheep immediately surrounded him. According to Rabbi Aharon of Karlin (1806-1872), all the animals stood on their hind legs like human beings, and raised their front legs toward heaven in supplication (Sefer Baal Shem Tov, Yisro, 29, citing Beis Aharon, Bo; ibid. 30, citing Divrei Elimelech, Bechukosai and Rimzei Shevi'i Shel Pesach; ibid. 31, citing Toldos Adam, Noach).

NOTES

[1] R. Moshe of Ujheli finds a biblical prototype for this principle in the Jacob's separation of his flocks from those of Laban. Although this was primarily a demonstration of ownership, the Yismach Moshe infers that Jacob also wished to prevent them from grazing in foreign pastures (Gen. 30:40). He also cites the example of Elijah the Prophet, who had to persuade the goats designated to be slaughtered as idolatrous offerings to acquiesce to their fate, explaining this would lead to a greater sanctification of the Divine Name; cf. Yismach Moshe, Vayishlach, s.v. "Vayikach min habah b'yado," p. 356a; ibid., Vayeishev, s.v." Haya ro'eh es echav batzon," pp. 373b-374a.

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