Essays
Zoo Torah essays are sent out at irregular intervals. To join the list of around 3000 subscribers, send an email to essays-subscribe@lists.zootorah.com. Below are some of the essays that have been sent in the past; click on the titles to read the essays. For essays on Torah, science and rationalism, see the "Valuable Resources" sidebar at www.RationalistJudaism.com.
Exotic Shofars: Halachic Considerations
A detailed study of the halachic permissibility of various types of shofars (Fourth edition, revised and expanded, September 2012). Download here (5.8MB PDF)
Drop the Dead Donkey
When is a donkey apparently more important than hundreds of human beings? When it is a victim of terror, and you are the president of PETA. Read More...
The Power of Crocodiles
Crocodiles are the largest of reptiles. They can measure well over twenty feet in length, they account for more human deaths than any other large animal, killing around a thousand people in Africa annually. Read More...
Circle of Life
Where do all the dead birds go? There are thousands upon thousands of birds all around us, in the city no less than in the countryside. Why don't we see any dead ones? Read More...
Going Extinct?
Later this month, an extraordinary event is due to take place: a cow will give birth in Iowa. Cows give birth all the time, especially in Iowa, but the difference is that this cow is not giving birth to another cow, but rather to a gaurs - a huge ox-like animal from Asia that is highly endangered. Read More...
A-ee, A-ee
My nephew stared in astonishment. He pointed to the large hairy thing hanging from my arm by its sharp claws. "What is it?" he asked. "It's a sloth," I replied. Then, since he was only three years old and probably unfamiliar with the term, I added, "Sort of like a monkey, but it lives upside down." Read More...
The Unicorn Convention
Recently, I had the privilege of being invited to a uniquely historic event in Judaism. It involved a select group of scholars and experts from across the U.S. and Israel...and one dead giraffe. Read More...
The Feast of Delights
The purpose of the evening was to maintain a kosher status for creatures that are in danger of losing it. It was of extraordinary halachic importance. It was of unbelievably exceptional uniqueness. And parts of it were gross. Read More...
Drawing Out Leviathan
The wind was blowing in my face as the good ship Lord Hornblower sailed over the crests of the Pacific. We were about nine miles off Point Loma, on the coast of California, and we were hunting for whales. Our goal was to shoot them -- not with harpoons, but with cameras. Read More...
The Identity of the Nesher
One of the most famous birds in the Torah is the nesher, the king of birds. Although many assume that this is the eagle, and some of the commentaries have identified it as such,[1] the identity of the nesher is in fact not at all straightforward. As we shall see, it seems more likely that it refers to a vulture - specifically, the griffon vulture. Read More...
The Zebu Controversy
Recently a storm has erupted in Israel concerning meat. Wedding menus were changed at the last minute, and some yeshivos didn't enjoy their ordinary cholent for Shabbos. It turns out that for many years, a significant proportion of this meat (most of which is brought over from South America) does not come from ordinary cows. Instead, it comes from the zebu, a type of cow that has a hump, or from hybrids of zebu with ordinary cattle. Read More...
The Wild Men
The O-line consists of two thick ropes, about four feet apart, stretched along tall posts. It is designed not for humans, but for orangutans, and it runs across the width of the magnificent National Zoo. Wherever it crosses the public walkway there is a sign that reads "O-LINE: BE CAREFUL, ORANG XING." Read More...
The Kiss of Death
The giant reptile paused in its tracks upon seeing me. It stared at me out of huge eyes that were black as coal as I tentatively reached out my hand to scratch its chin. Then, deciding that I presented no threat -- after all, I was only a quarter of its size -- it carried on walking. I quickly moved out of its way to prevent being crushed by its great weight. Then I climbed onto its back for a unique ride through the African jungle. Read More...
Behold the Behemoth
T'was late one night, and Dennis the zookeeper at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo had gone early to bed in advance of a trip to Thailand. Suddenly, the telephone rang. He picked it up to hear the voice of Itzik, head keeper at the zoo, bark, "The hippo's out! Get over here now!" Read More...