It's not just a modern cartoon trope; it's a trait deeply embedded in Jewish folklore. And like many great stories, it begins with a bit of divine drama.
Imagine the scene: Adam has just eaten from the Tree of Knowledge (oops!), and as a result, things are about to change—big time. According to Legends of the Jews, God hands over the entire animal kingdom to the Angel of Death. A grim task, indeed! The Angel is instructed to cast one pair of each animal species into the water, establishing dominion over life alongside the mighty leviathan—that legendary sea monster we hear so much about.
Now, picture the fox. The Angel of Death is about to carry out the Divine command, and the fox? He starts weeping. Like, really weeping. The Angel, understandably curious, asks what all the fuss is about.
And here's where the fox's cunning shines. He says he's mourning the fate of his friend. But get this: he points to his own reflection in the water and claims it's another fox already suffering the watery fate! Talk about quick thinking.
The Angel of Death, completely fooled, believes that the fox family is already represented in the water. So, he lets our foxy friend go free. Can you believe it?
But the story doesn't end there! The fox, never one to keep a good trick to himself, shares his secret with the cat. And guess what? The cat uses the very same ruse on the Angel of Death!
As a result, as Legends of the Jews tells us, neither cats nor foxes are represented in the water. All other animals? They got their pair tossed in. But not the clever fox, and not the copycat cat.
It's a fascinating little story, isn’t it? It highlights not just the cunning of the fox, but also a certain…gullibility, perhaps, on the part of the Angel of Death. It makes you wonder: what other stories are out there, hidden in the vast treasury of Jewish folklore, just waiting to be rediscovered? What other animals outsmarted fate? And what does it say about us, that we find these tales of cleverness so compelling?