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December 12, 2003
Dogs and the gifts of Chanukah
There are many references in Judaism to support generosity to
animals.
OZZIE NOGG SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
If it's true that every dog has its day, then the eight days of
Chanukah can be a gift bone-anza for dogs that live in Jewish homes.
Don't snicker. There are many references in the Torah and Talmud
to support our being generous to animals, and a wide range of pet
merchandise is available to help us reward our favorite dog.
Consider this. On the night of the Exodus from Egypt, God informs
Moses of the imminent 10th plague – the slaying of the firstborn.
A midrash states that just before the Angel of Death descended,
God instructed the dogs living among the Hebrews to be silent. And
they were. No dog barked or howled, and the Children of Israel escaped
undetected. God then told the dogs that because they had obeyed
and shown such restraint, He would reward them throughout the generations.
The form of reward is not recorded, but for dogs celebrating Chanukah,
here are some suggestions from a few online shopping sites.
Wish your favorite pooch a happy Chanukah with a soft blue and white
plush dreidel dog that sings "I had a Little Dreidel"
in children's voices. Or give a plush menorah that plays a rock
version of "Rock of Ages." Then again, perhaps your pet
would prefer a musical star of David? When your dog clamps it in
his jaw and gives a squeeze, the star wails, "Who Can Retell
the Things that Befell Us"!
Toy gift sets for the canine set include a menorah and star of David
gift box. This combo contains Bow-Wow biscuits, a plush dog toy
plus beef jerky treats. (Kosher-keeping dogs, beware.) Yet another
gift set includes a dreidel chew toy along with a festive Chanukah
collar in chic velour with faux fur. The collars are sized to fit
small, medium and large dogs – up to a scary 32-inch neck.
Also available is a Chanukah collar that sports jingle bells, though
this seems like an ecumenical oxymoron to me. Be that as it may,
the manufacturer of the bell collar says your pet will love the
attention he'll get when he wears it. Other collars come in silver
or royal blue glitter with matching leads. Once you've got your
dog collared, hooked up and on a walk to services, make sure his
(or her) ensemble is accessorized with a Chanukah kippah. Blue suede,
monogrammed in silver thread and sized from extra small to a serious
double extra large, these kippot sport hidden combs to secure them
to your puppy's pate.
Procrastinators who didn't order these special gifts in time for
pre-Chanukah delivery can always grab a package of blue and white
doggie tennis balls or a carton of blue and white striped Rawhide
Chanukah twist canes. The latter from the same folks, I guess, who
brought you the Chanukah jingle bell collars.
Now. In case you need more examples of Jewish texts that show humankind
and their affection for animals (and, by extension, more reasons
to gift your dog this Chanukah) read on.
The Talmud states that Moses, the shepherd, was chosen for his mission
to faithfully shepherd the flock of Israel because God recognized
his skill in tending a flock of sheep. Furthermore, legend has it
that Rebecca was chosen to be Isaac's bride because she gave Abraham's
servant a drink and also watered his camels. And let's remember
the Torah's instructions to feed your animals before you sit down
to your own meal. So this Chanukah – before you dive into that
plate of steaming latkes – please dish up a festival feast
for Fido.
How about a tin of Chanukah bark bars – wholesome cookies which,
according to the manufacturer, taste like latkes and applesauce.
(If your dog prefers sour cream, look elsewhere.) The treats come
in carefully packaged boxes, cushioned between layers of paw-print
tissue paper to prevent the cookies from crumbling in shipment.
The enclosed card says, "These Jewish dog cookies are handmade,
hand-decorated and baked with love! We hope we've made you and your
doggie's life a little nicer by offering a product that's more fun
than the usual dog bone cookie." To guarantee optimum fun,
the Chanukah bark bars are shaped like cats.
Another Chanukah gift box offers 13 ball-shaped biscuits, individually
wrapped in blue foil and packed in a star of David box, tied with
silver ribbons. The biscuits taste like roast chicken and are named
Star of Dachshund, To-ruff, Drei-dog and Meno-ruff. 'Nuff said.
Well, not quite.
The Hebrew word for dog, kelev, can be translated as close
to the heart – a reference to the loyalty dogs show their masters.
A talmudic fable tells of a dog that saw a serpent poisoning the
milk of its master. The dog barked frantically, but its master paid
no attention to the warning. Before the man could drink the milk,
the dog lapped it up and died while saving its master's life.
And get this. The ignominious mark of Cain – bestowed after
Cain kills Abel and is condemned to lonely exile – is never
described in the Torah, so the sages speculated as to its nature.
What did they conclude? That the mark was actually a dog that God
gave to Cain to keep him company in his solitude.
And finally. Today, in Israel, trained Pups for Peace patrol the
country's borders as frontline defenders of Jewish lives, helping
to free Israelis from the fear of terror as they go about the day.
So, for their part in the Exodus, for their role in present-day
Israel and for all the nights when they faithfully sleep at the
foot of our beds, we owe our dogs – whether mutt or purebred
– a debt of gratitude. If that gratitude takes the form of
one plush musical menorah or eight paw-lickin' bark bars, well,
that's up to you.
For more information, visit these Web sites: www.dogtoys.com,
www.pet-shop.net,
www.ferretstore.com
and www.bowwowbakery.com.
Ozzie Nogg is a freelance writer in Omaha, Neb. Her self-syndicated
features take a slightly off-beat look at the history and observance
of Jewish holidays, festivals and lifecycle events. Check out her
Web site, www.rabbisdaughter.com.
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