Community Magazine January 2017

Excerpts from Exploring the Wild World of Animals, by Efraim Harari, published by Israel Bookshop Publications. Be sure to check out the newest book in this animals series, Exploring the Wild World of Animals & BIRDS. Now available at all Judaica stores and on Amazon. NEW The zikita , which many commentaries describe as the chameleon, is mentioned in the Gemara ( Sanhedrin 108b) that discusses the difficulties Noah experienced while in the teivah . The Gemara details the following discussion between Avraham’s servant Eliezer and Shem, the son of Noah: Eliezer asked Shem about life in the teivah during the Mabul . Shem replied, “It was very difficult. Some animals eat only by day, while others feed in the middle of the night. All twelve months in the teivah , we never got to close our eyes. “My father (Noah) did not know what the chameleon likes to eat and so was unable to feed it. Then one day, my father was cutting a pomegranate, and a worm fell out of it. The chameleon immediately lunged at the worm and ate it. My father then learned what to feed it. After that, we would put aside wet bran and allow it to become wormy; then we would feed the worms to the chameleon.” Noah and his family acquired great merit for their hard work in feeding the animals at the proper times while in the teivah . The Midrash ( Tehillim 37:1) describes the famous meeting between Avraham and Malki-tzedek ( Parahat Lech Lecha 14:18-21]). Chazal teach that Malki-tzedek was in fact Shem, the son of Noah. “Tell me,” Avraham said to him, “in what merit did you deserve to leave the teivah ?” “In was in the merit of the tzedakah that we did,” replied Shem. “But there were no poor people there!” Avraham said. “It was just you and your family. To whom did you give tzedakah ?” “To the animals and the birds,” Shem answered. “We did not sleep at night. We would go from one animal to the next, making sure they had enough to eat.” Another impressive feature of the chameleon is its long and sticky tongue. The chameleon’s tongue can be one and a half to two times longer than its body (excluding its tail). The chameleon uses its elongated tongue to capture prey. A chameleon on the hunt may remain still and wait for an insect (or other prey) to come near, or it may move slowly and quietly along a branch or on the ground. When the chameleon sees its prey, it takes careful aim – and bam! In the blink of an eye, it shoots out its tongue and captures its victim instantly. The chameleon’s tongue has a sticky tip called a tongue pad , which is used to capture prey. Just when the chameleon unleashes its tongue toward its victim, the tongue turns inside-out and actively reverses to form a pouch. Immediately after, the chameleon’s tongue makes contact with the prey. Once the prey is stuck to the chameleon’s tongue, the chameleon draws it back into its mouth. This sequence of events happens at an incredible speed, as fast as 3.5-10.5 meters per second – which is faster than the human eye can follow! Once thechameleonconsumes its prey, the tongue is kept bunched up at the back of the chameleon’s mouth, until it is needed again. TORAH TRAITS TONGUE TWISTER Wacky FACT: Chameleons can even sleep upside-down! TEVET 5777 JANUARY 2017 75