Dog Info

Rabbinic tradition has mixed feelings about dogs. They were often seen as a public nuisance, or even worse, a danger to public welfare. Some rabbis thought that keeping them chained up was not sufficient; even their barking could cause a woman to miscarry. Rabbi Eliezer the Great disliked them so much he opined that one who raised dogs is like one who raises swine.

But this is not the only attitude to be found. Dogs were acclaimed as a paradigm of fidelity. They were also deemed to possess uncanny powers of discernment over life and death. The Talmud recounts this teaching: When dogs howl, it is a sign that the Angel of Death has come to a town. But when dogs frolic, it is a sign that Elijah the prophet has come to town. And Elijah, it should be remembered, is a harbinger not only of life, but of eternal life. This discernment is a blessing that has been given to our canine friends to share with us.

There is more. When we left Egypt, the Torah reminds us, dogs didn't bark. For this we owe them a debt of gratitude. They are loyal to their masters and courageous to defend them and their property against marauders. Another Talmudic tradition holds that is forbidden for a Jew to live in a town that has no dogs. In fact, we are further taught, the Patriarch Jacob owned no fewer than 120 myriads of dogs. I'm not sure how much a myriad is, but if we accept the traditional value of 10,000, than Jacob was one of the greatest breeders of all time.

There is an ancient Hebrew poem called Perek Shirah: we don't know for sure how old it is, but some scholars think it may be almost two thousand years old. In it, every creature - with the exception of Human Beings - is given its own song. The song is often a quotation from the Book of Psalms, but not always. Everything has its unique song to God: Heaven, Earth, mountains, seas, cows and goats, sheep and gazelle, birds of every kind, insects, rocks, plants and trees. The very last creature in the poem, the very last one to sing, is the dog. And what is the song of dogs, you may ask? It is the third verse of Psalm 95:

"Let us crouch, prostrate ourselves, lie down in the presence of the Lord, our maker."

Why was this the song of the dogs? It seems that from ancient times, dogs knew something about lying down that those of us who walk on two legs seem to forget. To prostrate oneself, in the proper time and place, to know how to sit down and be still in the face of danger, can be an act of worship, a service to God and to the world God gave us. But there is another secret here, with which I will conclude this dvar Torah. In the Midrash (BR 56:2), Our Rabbis taught:

Israel was redeemed from slavery only because of prostrating; and a verse is quoted to prove the point. The Torah was given only because of prostrating; another verse is offered. The exiles will return to Israel one day only because of the merit of prostrating; another verse is quoted. The Temple will be rebuilt only on account of prostrating; another proof text is offered. And finally, The dead will be called to life again only because of prostrating. And what is the verse that is quoted here to prove the point? It is the third verse of Psalm 95:

Let us crouch, prostrate ourselves, lie down in the presence of the Lord, our maker.

Because these wise and loyal servants of God and of their handlers have learned when to crouch, when to sit and be still, those innocent men and women who may have been marked for death will be spared, and be called to life. Isn't this worth singing about? Isn't this a great miracle we are witnessing here today?

Ha Notein Lasechvi binah: May the Holy Blessed One, who has give to the rooster the sense to distinguish between day and night, and who has given to these beautiful animals the loyalty and wisdom to keep us safe from danger, bless us and the work of our hands. May God give strength and courage to both dog and handler, and may God give us the wisdom to discern between light and darkness, between terror and peace, between eternal vengeance and eternal life. May the day soon come when the service of these canine friends will no longer be needed, when they can retire to the farm to frolic in God's presence, and when brethren will live together in peace. Amen.

Rabbi Dan Shevitz
October 6, 2002

Click here to read more about the background of Pups for Peace.