{"id":773,"date":"2009-11-30T19:19:32","date_gmt":"2009-12-01T00:19:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/?p=773"},"modified":"2019-09-05T17:50:26","modified_gmt":"2019-09-06T00:50:26","slug":"the-talmud-on-the-virtues-of-robots-and-cats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/2009\/11\/the-talmud-on-the-virtues-of-robots-and-cats","title":{"rendered":"The Talmud on the Virtues of Robots and Cats"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few days ago Engadget<\/a> blogged a story originally reported in the Israeli print media that a local family was surprised to discover that their Roomba<\/a> had ingested a dangerous poisonous snake (Vipera palaestinae<\/em><\/a>). (Within a few days, the story was echoed by Gizmodo<\/a>, Boing Boing<\/a>, and Jewschool<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

\"Vipera<\/a><\/p>\n

In so far as Jewish lore goes, the virtues of alert domestic household guardians in disposing of wayward lizards was recognized as early as 350-371 CE in the Babylonian Talmud. The source below, Tractate Pesa\u1e25im, Chapter 10, p112b<\/a>, provides something of a utilitarian justification for the adoption of cats in this regard:<\/p>\n

\n

\u05d0\u05de\u05e8 \u05e8\u05d1 \u05e4\u05e4\u05d0 \u05d1\u05d9\u05ea\u05d0 \u05d3\u05d0\u05d9\u05ea \u05d1\u05d9\u05d4 \u05e9\u05d5\u05e0\u05e8\u05d0 \u05dc\u05d0 \u05e0\u05d9\u05e2\u05d5\u05dc \u05d1\u05d4 \u05d0\u05d9\u05e0\u05d9\u05e9 \u05d1\u05dc\u05d0 \u05de\u05e1\u05e0\u05d9 \u05de\u05d0\u05d9 \u05d8\u05e2\u05de\u05d0 \u05de\u05e9\u05d5\u05dd \u05d3\u05e9\u05d5\u05e0\u05e8\u05d0 \u05e7\u05d8\u05d9\u05dc \u05dc\u05d7\u05d9\u05d5\u05d9\u05d0 \u05d5\u05d0\u05db\u05d9\u05dc \u05dc\u05d9\u05d4 \u05d5\u05d0\u05d9\u05ea \u05d1\u05d9\u05d4 \u05d1\u05d7\u05d9\u05d5\u05d9\u05d0 \u05d2\u05e8\u05de\u05d9 \u05e7\u05d8\u05d9\u05e0\u05d9 \u05d5\u05d0\u05d9 \u05d9\u05ea\u05d9\u05d1 \u05dc\u05d4 \u05d2\u05e8\u05de\u05d0 \u05d3\u05d7\u05d9\u05d5\u05d9\u05d0 \u05d0\u05db\u05e8\u05e2\u05d9\u05d4 \u05dc\u05d0 \u05e0\u05e4\u05d9\u05e7 \u05d5\u05d0\u05e1\u05ea\u05db\u05df \u05dc\u05d9\u05d4 \u05d0\u05d9\u05db\u05d0 \u05d3\u05d0\u05de\u05e8\u05d9 \u05d1\u05d9\u05ea\u05d0 \u05d3\u05dc\u05d9\u05ea \u05d1\u05d9\u05d4 \u05e9\u05d5\u05e0\u05e8\u05d0 \u05dc\u05d0 \u05e0\u05d9\u05e2\u05d5\u05dc \u05d1\u05d9\u05d4 \u05d0\u05d9\u05e0\u05d9\u05e9 \u05d1\u05d4\u05db\u05e8\u05d0 \u05de\u05d0\u05d9 \u05d8\u05e2\u05de\u05d0 \u05d3\u05d9\u05dc\u05de\u05d0 \u05de\u05d9\u05db\u05e8\u05d9\u05da \u05d1\u05d9\u05d4 \u05d7\u05d5\u05d9\u05d0 \u05d5\u05dc\u05d0 \u05d9\u05d3\u05e2 \u05d5\u05de\u05e1\u05ea\u05db\u05df<\/span><\/p>\n

Rav Papa<\/a> said: A man should not enter a house in which there is a cat, without shoes. What is the reason? Because the cat may kill a snake and eat it — now the snake has little bones, and if a bone sticks into his foot it will not come out, and will endanger him. Others say: A man should not enter a house where there is no cat<\/strong>, in the dark [without shoes]. What is the reason? Lest a snake wind itself about him without his knowing, and he come to danger.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Given these concerns, we can only surmise that if Rav Papa were alive today, he might trust his Nehardean home and yeshiva to be free of tiny snake bones thanks to his own autonomous robotic vacuum cleaner, and unselfconsciously walk about in his socks, even in the dark, his tender soles secure. Over here at the Omphalos, we appreciate the common sense of Rav Papa’s colleagues; and we’re rather satisfied with the lap guarding capabilities of our resident felines, Dot, Ivan, and William. We do admit however that in battle with poisonous lizards, our cats would fare far more poorly than Rav Papa or his colleagues assume. If we lived in an area prone to viper attacks, a Roomba might save our cat’s lives as well as our own.<\/p>\n

We will just need to remain vigilant. When in viper country we will wear shoes, as the Talmud recommends and wait patiently while DARPA struggles to model the feline brain<\/a>. When DARPA ultimately succeeds we will upgrade the firmware of our vacuuming robots with the aggressive skills of 4th century Iraqi cats. But unapologetic sentimentalists, we will keep our warm blooded companions and enjoy their current, if temporary, dominance over their vigilant snake wrestling (and dust fighting) competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/object><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A few days ago Engadget blogged a story originally reported in the Israeli print media that a local family was surprised to discover that their Roomba had ingested a dangerous poisonous snake (Vipera palaestinae). (Within a few days, the story was echoed by Gizmodo, Boing Boing, and Jewschool.)<\/p>\n

\n

In so far as . . . → Continue reading: The Talmud on the Virtues of Robots and Cats<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":775,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,2],"tags":[136,146,147,148],"class_list":["post-773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kittehs","category-yiddishkeit","tag-talmud","tag-cats","tag-snakes","tag-robots","odd"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Talmud on the Virtues of Robots and Cats • Aharon's Omphalos<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/2009\/11\/the-talmud-on-the-virtues-of-robots-and-cats\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Talmud on the Virtues of Robots and Cats • Aharon's Omphalos\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A few days ago Engadget blogged a story originally reported in the Israeli print media that a local family was surprised to discover that their Roomba had ingested a dangerous poisonous snake (Vipera palaestinae). 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He is particularly interested in pedagogies for advancing ecological wisdom, developing creative and emotional intelligence, and realizing effective theurgical praxes. He welcomes your comments, personal messages, and kind words. If you find his work helpful to your own or you'd simply like to support him, please consider donating via his Patreon account.","sameAs":["https:\/\/aharon.varady.net","http:\/\/facebook.com\/aharonium","https:\/\/x.com\/http:\/\/twitter.com\/aharonium"],"url":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/author\/admin"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/Vipera_palaestina-Large.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgdGV-ct","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3140,"url":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/2021\/03\/doycat","url_meta":{"origin":773,"position":0},"title":"Doycats of Doykeit","author":"Aharon N. Varady","date":"March 23, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm here for Doykeit (also, Doykayt, Here-ness) and I'm here for cats, not only the living creatures but also the idea of cats who will make any place they rest their haunches appear to be their own, until they leave, as is there want. Who else lives in the here\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Image Macros"","block_context":{"text":"Image Macros","link":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/category\/art\/image-macro"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/doycat-Wherever-we-live-is-our-homeland-Aharon-Varady-CC-BY-SA.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/doycat-Wherever-we-live-is-our-homeland-Aharon-Varady-CC-BY-SA.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/doycat-Wherever-we-live-is-our-homeland-Aharon-Varady-CC-BY-SA.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/doycat-Wherever-we-live-is-our-homeland-Aharon-Varady-CC-BY-SA.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/doycat-Wherever-we-live-is-our-homeland-Aharon-Varady-CC-BY-SA.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/doycat-Wherever-we-live-is-our-homeland-Aharon-Varady-CC-BY-SA.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3080,"url":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/2020\/08\/escutcheon-for-a-sanctuary-of-the-jewish-imagination-in-the-land-beyond-the-river-sambatyon","url_meta":{"origin":773,"position":1},"title":"Escutcheon for a Sanctuary of the Jewish Imagination in the Land Beyond the River Sambatyon","author":"Aharon N. Varady","date":"August 21, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"An escutcheon (shield herald) for the landscape and lore of my imagination.","rel":"","context":"In "Mythology"","block_context":{"text":"Mythology","link":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/category\/yiddishkeit\/mythology"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/escutcheon-L-Scheibler197ps-Aharon-Varady-2020-CC-BY-SA.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/escutcheon-L-Scheibler197ps-Aharon-Varady-2020-CC-BY-SA.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/escutcheon-L-Scheibler197ps-Aharon-Varady-2020-CC-BY-SA.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":474,"url":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/2008\/11\/the-idiot-winds-gusts-are-now-a-gale","url_meta":{"origin":773,"position":2},"title":"The Idiot Wind’s Gusts are Now a Gale","author":"Aharon N. Varady","date":"November 4, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Xeni Jardin over at Boing Boing has an important post analyzing the dragging death murder of Brandon McClelland, 24, last month in Paris, Texas, an area of our country haunted by a legacy of lynchings going back over a hundred years. Please read it. In light of the McCain campaign's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/category\/adventure\/politics"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Mike-Lunsfords-halloween-effigy-of-a-Jewish-Obama.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":543,"url":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/2008\/12\/hanukah-sukkot-bet-and-the-brumalia","url_meta":{"origin":773,"position":3},"title":"\u1e24anukkah: Sukkot Sheni and the Brumalia","author":"Aharon N. Varady","date":"December 23, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"With the dissemination and availability of 2 Maccabees (preserved in the Catholic and Orthodox Christian cannons), more Jews are learning that the eight day festival of lights originated as a renewal of the eight day festival of Sukkot.\u00a0 That essential Fall pilgrimage and fertility festival (which included the joyous water-drawing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mythology"","block_context":{"text":"Mythology","link":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/category\/yiddishkeit\/mythology"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":694,"url":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/2009\/02\/reality-and-hallucination-a-talmudic-ontology-of-consensus","url_meta":{"origin":773,"position":4},"title":"Reality and Hallucination: Towards a Talmudic Ontology of Consensus (by way of demons)","author":"Aharon N. Varady","date":"February 12, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"In his 1978 essay, \"How to Build a Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later\", Philip K. Dick wrote, \"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.\" This ontology is challenged by a syndrome recently brought to my attention in a recent post on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mythology"","block_context":{"text":"Mythology","link":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/category\/yiddishkeit\/mythology"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/litterbox.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3197,"url":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/2009\/11\/mase%e1%b8%a5et-yoma-pereq-shemini","url_meta":{"origin":773,"position":5},"title":"Mase\u1e25et Yoma, Pereq Shemini","author":"Aharon N. Varady","date":"November 25, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"A poem inspired by one written by Yonah Lavery-Yisraeli, here.","rel":"","context":"In "Mythology"","block_context":{"text":"Mythology","link":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/category\/yiddishkeit\/mythology"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/metamorphosis-escher-crop.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/metamorphosis-escher-crop.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/metamorphosis-escher-crop.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/metamorphosis-escher-crop.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/773","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=773"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/773\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3000,"href":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/773\/revisions\/3000"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/775"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aharon.varady.net\/omphalos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}