Monkeys are in the news after a lab worker at the Alpha Genesis research center in South Carolina left a door open, allowing 43 rhesus macaque monkeys to escape. The monkeys all eluded capture for a few days and seemed to enjoy their lives in the nearby trees. Twenty five have now been caught and authorities say they are in good condition. Efforts continue to recover the remaining escapees.

Monkeys have made appearances in Judaism in a number of ways. They are mentioned numerous times in the Jewish religious texts. For example, it notes in the Gemara that people are allowed to raise monkeys. And the Talmud states that there is a blessing to recite when one sees a monkey: Blessed art thou…Who makes creatures different. (One wonders if any neighbors have made this blessing near the Alpha Genesis research center). Israel is home to the Israel Primate Sanctuary which has provided sanctuary to monkeys and other primates for almost 30 years. What other connections exist between monkeys and Judaism?

Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta mulatta) female by Charles J. Sharp  is  licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

A. In 2016, Shimon Peres wrote a song titled Chinese Melody to celebrate the Year of the Monkey and Israel’s relationship with China.

B. If your pet monkey escapes on Shabbat it is not a violation of Shabbat rules to chase and recapture it (despite general restrictions against capturing on the Sabbath).

C. The Gemara states that Sarah was so beautiful that anyone else compared to her would be no better than a monkey compared to a human.

D. The Jewish Monkeys is a klezmer punk rock band whose music is described as “Yiddish folk with a Balkan tinge and a healthy dose of ska, reggae and afrobeat, running on indie rock energy.”

E. According to the Mishna, kosher slaughtering is permitted to be done by an uncircumcised Israelite or a Samaritan, but not by an idolator or a monkey.

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