About ANIMAL

Hebrew Name

בְּהֵמָה

English Name

ANIMAL

Phonetic Spelling

BI-HEI-MAH

What does ANIMAL mean?

Beheimah refers specifically to domesticated animals like cows, sheep and goats, which were critically important to the early Israelites, many of whom were shepherds, including important leaders such as Abraham, Moses and King David.

וַיַּ֣עַשׂ אֱלֹהִים֩ אֶת־חַיַּ֨ת הָאָ֜רֶץ לְמִינָ֗הּ וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָה֙ לְמִינָ֔הּ וְאֵ֛ת כׇּל־רֶ֥מֶשׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֖ה לְמִינֵ֑הוּ וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים כִּי־טֽוֹב׃
Hashem made wild beasts of every kind and cattle of every kind, and all kinds of creeping things of the earth. And Hashem saw that this was good.
vai-YA-as e-lo-HEEM et kha-YAT ha-A-rets l'-mi-NAH v'-et ha-b'-HE-mah l'-mi-NAH v'-ET kol-re-MES ha-a-da-MAH l'-mi-NE-hu, vai-YAR e-lo-HEEM kee-TOV
Genesis 1:25

מִכֹּ֣ל ׀ הַבְּהֵמָ֣ה הַטְּהוֹרָ֗ה תִּֽקַּח־לְךָ֛ שִׁבְעָ֥ה שִׁבְעָ֖ה אִ֣ישׁ וְאִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וּמִן־הַבְּהֵמָ֡ה אֲ֠שֶׁ֠ר לֹ֣א טְהֹרָ֥ה הִ֛וא שְׁנַ֖יִם אִ֥ישׁ וְאִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃
Of every clean animal you shall take seven pairs, males and their mates, and of every animal that is not clean, two, a male and its mate;
mi-KOL ha-be-HE-ma ha-te-HO-rah ti-KACH-le-KHA shiv-AH shiv-AH eesh v'-ish-TO, u-min ha-be-HE-ma a-SHER lo te-HO-rah hee, she-NAY-im eesh v'-ish-TO.
Genesis 7:2

Description about ANIMAL

We first encounter the Hebrew word for animal, beheimah, in the opening chapter of Genesis, which describes the different kinds of animals created by God on the fifth day. Beheimah refers specifically to domesticated animals like cows, sheep and goats, which were critically important to the early Israelites, many of whom were shepherds, including important leaders such as Abraham, Moses and King David. The Jewish sages say that Moses was chosen by God to lead the Children of Israel because of how righteously and caringly he tended to his flock. These domesticated animals would later become a key element of the Tabernacle and Temple service, where they were brought as daily sacrifices in the service of God. For an ancient Israelite, offering one of his animals as a sacrifice was like giving God a part of himself, creating a sense of closeness and connection to God. The beheimah also appears prominently in the Bible’s description of the kosher laws. Kosher animals cannot be predators and must have split hooves and chew their cud. Both of these conditions are met by cows, sheep and goats. Although man is created in the image of God and has a higher level of soul than animals, the Bible requires us to treat animals with compassion, for they, too, are created by God. As Rabbi Moshe Cordovero (1522-1570) said: “One should respect all creatures, recognizing in them the greatness of the Creator. All creatures are imbued with the Creator’s wisdom, which itself makes them greatly deserving of honor. If one were to disparage them, God forbid, this would reflect upon the honor of their Maker.”

Attribute of ANIMAL

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