Unicorns, phoenixes, dragons, mermaids – what does the Torah (and other holy texts) say about these mythical creatures? Could they be real, and what spiritual significance do they carry? Find out in this fun class where we also explore narwhals and dugongs in the Tabernacle, the great battle of Behemoth and Leviathan, Greek myths of the Pegasus and the Chimera, dinosaurs in Tanakh, the Stone of Scone, and the true origins of King Arthur’s Excalibur.
Tag Archives: Unicorn
Sacrifices & Veganism
Where did the concept of animal sacrifices really come from? Why are there so many sacrificial procedures described in the Torah? Will there be sacrifices in the future Third Temple in Jerusalem? And what does it all have to do with human consumption of meat? Is the vegan diet of Adam and Eve ideal for mankind? Find out in this eye-opening class! Plus: Did God really command Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac? What did meat consumption have to do with the Great Flood? And what did the fallen angels have to do with it?
Unicorns in the Torah
Yesterday was my daughter’s birthday, and her favourite thing in the world is unicorns. Perhaps this is because the unicorn makes a hidden appearance in her parasha, this week’s parasha, Vayak’hel-Pekudei. In summarizing the construction of the Mishkan, the Torah notes that it was made with the skins of the tachash (Exodus 35:7). The tachash is a mysterious animal whose true identity is entirely unknown. The Talmud (Shabbat 28b) states that it was a unique mammal species, wild and undomesticated, with a singular horn on its head. It came specifically in the time of Moses to be used for the Mishkan, and has since disappeared. The Talmud goes on to suggest that it was probably the same animal that was brought by Adam as a sacrifice in the Garden of Eden. This ties to another passage in the Talmud (Avodah Zarah 8a) that explains how Adam brought a thanksgiving offering to God, of a unique animal with a single horn, as it states in Psalms 69:32 that “it shall please God better than an ox with horn and hooves.” Elsewhere (Chullin 60a), the Talmud adds that this special animal emerged fully formed, horn-first, from the Earth. The Sages hold that having horn and hooves means it was probably kosher! Continue reading