While Jews in Biblical times didn’t know about polar bears, they certainly encountered brown bears, which once roamed the Land of Israel. In fact, bears are mentioned quite often in the Bible and Talmudic literature. Read on for 10 facts about this powerful predator and its place in Judaism.
1. King David Killed Them Singlehandedly
When the Philistine warrior Goliath threatened the Jewish camp, young David offered to confront him. When King Saul doubted he was up to the task, David explained: “Your servant was a shepherd for his father among the sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, I went after it, struck it, and rescued it from its mouth. And if it turned on me, I would grab it by its beard, strike it, and kill it.”1
2. They Avenged Elisha’s Honor
In another Biblical account, the prophet Elisha was traveling from Jericho to Beth-El when a group of youngsters mocked him, calling out, “Go away, bald one!” Seeing with prophetic vision that they and their descendants would always be sinners, Elisha cursed them. Miraculously, two bears emerged from a nearby forest and struck 42 of them.2
Read: The Prophet Elisha
3. The Bear in Daniel’s Vision
In the first year of the reign of the Babylonian king Belshazzar, Daniel had a nighttime vision of four beasts rising from the sea: a lion with eagle’s wings, a bear with three ribs in its teeth, a four-headed leopard with four wings, and a beast with iron teeth and ten horns. These four fearsome creatures represented the four kingdoms destined to rule over the Jews: Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome.3
4. The Bear-Persia Connection
The bear in Daniel’s dream represented Persia, and the three ribs in its mouth symbolized the empire’s three major kings: Cyrus, Ahasuerus, and Darius.4
What made the ancient Persians bear-like? The Talmud explains: “They eat and drink excessively like a bear; they are clothed in flesh like a bear; they let their hair grow like a bear; and they have no rest like a bear.”5
Read: 14 Facts About Daniel
5. They Were Victims of … Goats!
The Talmud tells a remarkable story about the sage Rabbi Chanina ben (son of) Dosa. His neighbors falsely accused his goats of damaging their fields. Rabbi Chanina responded, “If you are correct, let bears come and consume my goats. But if you are not, let my goats return from the fields carrying bears on their horns!” Sure enough, to their amazement, that evening Rabbi Chanina’s goats came home carrying bears on their horns!6
(According to one interpretation of this story, it was wolves the goats carried home, not bears.7)
Read: Challahs from Heaven
6. Elijah Appeared as a Bear
In another Talmudic account, Elijah the prophet once revealed to Rabbi Judah the Prince the spiritual power of Rabbi Chiya and his sons: whatever they prayed for was guaranteed to happen. Rabbi Judah called for a day of prayer and had them lead the services. When they said, “... Who causes the wind to blow,” the wind started blowing. When they said, “... and the rain to fall,” it started raining. As they were about to say “... Who revives the dead,” the ground began to shake. Seeing where this was headed, the Heavenly court summoned Elijah and punished him for revealing secrets. Elijah then appeared as a bear of fire and distracted Rabbi Chiya and his sons before they could continue.8
7. It’s a Popular Jewish Name
Interestingly, the bear is a popular masculine name in both Hebrew (“Dov”) and Yiddish (“Ber,” or the affectionate variant “Berel”). Some combine both versions into “Dovber”—a name carried by great men like Rabbi Dovber, the Maggid of Mezeritch; Rabbi Dovber, the second Chabad Rebbe; and Rabbi Sholom Dovber, the fifth Chabad Rebbe.
Read: Is Bernie a Jewish Name?
8. They’re Popular Children’s Toys … But Should They Be?
Teddy bears are a favorite toy for many children, but from a spiritual perspective, it’s worth pausing to reconsider. Torah sources speak of the power of sight, especially on the impressionable mind of a young child. Consistent exposure to images of non-kosher animals may leave a spiritual mark. The Rebbe therefore encouraged parents to choose toys depicting only kosher animals and children’s books featuring only kosher animals.9
(Bringing children to a zoo to see the marvels of G‑d’s creations is not subject to this concern.10)
9. They Feature in the Temple’s Destruction—and in the Messianic Era
The prophet Jeremiah compared G‑d’s wrath in destroying the Temple to a fearsome bear: “[G‑d was] as a bear in ambush; like a lion in hiding.”11 But bears also have a role to play in the future Redemption. The prophet Isaiah describes a time when predators will coexist peacefully with their prey: “The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will crouch with the young goat … A cow and bear will graze; their young will crouch together.”12
According to some opinions, Isaiah’s prophecy is meant as an analogy, foretelling that the nations of the world will no longer persecute the Jews. Others, however, also understand it literally.13
10. There’s a Lesson They Can Teach Us
As mentioned above, the Talmud describes the bear as never resting. Bears in the zoo pace back and forth in their enclosure, and in the wild, they’re also constantly on the move. We can learn from bears that we, too, should always be moving forward. Unlike angels, who were created a certain way and can never change, we humans were gifted with the ability to keep striving for something higher.14
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