Why I am Looking for a Kanaani Cat

Why I am Looking for a Kanaani Cat
A personal reflection of a Jew, a Zionist, and a student on the path to becoming a rabbi

I am not a rabbi — but I am learning.
Learning to listen more deeply, to see more clearly, to discern the subtle.
Learning to understand that even the gaze of an animal can carry meaning,
and its silence — quieter than prayer, yet closer to Heaven.

Through this journey, I have begun to notice things I previously overlooked:
how animals are interwoven into the fabric of our spiritual history,
how cats become silent companions of human beings,
how in their movements, their gait, their eyes — there is a trace of ancient wisdom.

Among all these discoveries, one particular cat breed captivated me.
A breed born in Jerusalem.
A breed whose veins carry the heat of desert stones and the shade of ancient olives.
A breed named after the land where the story of the Jewish people began — Kanaani.

Now I will share why I am so drawn to this breed.
But to understand it, we must start from the very beginning.

;

1. Adam and the Cat: Exile and Loyalty

When Adam tasted the fruit of knowledge and was expelled from Eden, the world lost its original order. Animals, once living in peace, became divided: some turned into predators, others into prey. The cat became a hunter, the mouse — a fugitive. As the Midrash tells, the mouse complained about the cat, speaking evil words — lashon hara. It said: “He is free, defiant, dangerous. He should be restrained.”

But Adam acted differently: he cursed the mouse — and blessed the cat.
The mouse was destined to forever hide.
But the cat was drawn closer.

Since then, the cat has remained with humans.
Not as a servant, but as a companion.
Not as an obedient dog, but as a silent philosopher.
Through its independence, it reminds humans that even when exiled from Eden, one can retain dignity.
The cat is a shadow of light that remains with us.

;

2. Prophets and Animals

All the patriarchs and prophets of Israel were close to animals. Abraham cared for his flocks, Noah saved every creature pair by pair, David shepherded sheep before becoming a king. But one story particularly touched me — the Midrash about Moses.

One day, a sheep ran away from the flock. Moses went after it, searching for a long time, and finally found it at a spring. The sheep was drinking. Then, instead of scolding it or driving it away, Moses spoke gently and with compassion:

“You must have wandered off and wanted to drink…”

He lifted it onto his shoulders and carried it back. And then the Almighty said:

“The one who can care for a single sheep is worthy of leading My people.”

Moses became a prophet not because he spoke to God, but because he heard the thirst of one who could not speak.

;

3. The Cat and the Spiritual World

Kabbalists taught that a cat is a creature that sees more than we do. It senses when tension enters the home, when the energy balance is disturbed, when there is something impure in the air. It detects a spiritual shadow before a human even feels fear.

According to Kabbalah, a cat can bring harmony into a home, purify space from heavy energy, and protect the dwelling from evil.

Rab Papa, one of the Talmudic sages, said (Bava Kamma 16b) that in a house where there is a cat, there are no snakes and scorpions. This was understood both literally and symbolically — indicating that the cat guards the space not only from physical but also from unseen dangers.

Where a cat sleeps peacefully — one can feel peace.

;

4. Lessons from the Cat: Modesty and Cleanliness

In the Talmudic tractate Eruvin (100b), it is said:
“If the Torah had not been given, we would have learned modesty from the cat.”

This phrase sounds simple — but it carries profound wisdom.

A cat is modest. It performs its tasks quietly, without flaunting its life.
A cat is clean — constantly grooming itself, caring for its body.
This is not superficial hygiene but natural behavior — without coercion, without witnesses.

The cat is a living lesson in inner dignity.
Calm, quiet, restrained — and that is where its strength lies.

;

5. Israel and Cats

During the Egyptian slavery, Jews knew: if there was a cat in the house, one could enter safely. The cat would ward off snakes and scorpions. Thousands of years later, when the State of Israel was founded in 1948, the settlers faced the same challenge.

The government made a wise decision — to bring cats into the cities.
Thus, cats appeared in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and throughout the country.
They became part of the urban landscape.
Part of life.
Part of the people.

They are not driven away. They are fed. They are respected.
Because in Israel, they understand: caring for living beings is a sign of spiritual maturity.
Compassion is not weakness, it is strength.

;

6. Kanaani — The Cat of the Land of Canaan

In the early 1990s, Israeli artist and sculptor Doris Polachek had a home in Jerusalem where she sheltered stray cats. One day, she found a wounded wild Libyan steppe cat on the street and named him Tom. Under one roof, in a house of kindness, the wild cat and the street cats met. Thus, out of goodness and compassion, the Kanaani breed was born.

Tom became the father. His offspring were special — strong, graceful, independent, yet warm and affectionate towards people.
Doris felt this was no coincidence. It was a sign.
Together with breeders, she created the first national cat breed of Israel — Kanaani, named after the Land of Canaan, as the Torah refers to the Promised Land.

Kanaani is not just a cat. It is a symbol.
A cat born from wounds and healing.
A cat whose fur reflects the stone of Jerusalem and the softness of a human hand.
A cat whose eyes hold the story of exile and return.

;

7. My Mission

I am a person who learns.
I do not know everything, but I feel deeply.
I believe in Israel, in the people, in history, in the quiet presence of the Almighty even where His name is not spoken.

I dream of finding these cats, reviving the Kanaani breed, and sharing it with the world.
Some may say: it’s just a cat.
But I will say:
This is a soul that has returned.
This is the breath of the desert and the streets of Jerusalem.
This is a gaze filled with Rachamim — compassion.
This is a blessing that walks through the house in silence.