Shalom, more than hello
In Hebrew it means peace, hello and goodbye. It grows from a root meaning whole or complete, so it wishes you wellbeing, not just a quiet moment.
The lore
Peace, one purr at a time.
Every detail on this cat is on purpose. A greeting, a little crocheted cap and two curly sidelocks, worn by a cat that has never once looked impressed.
The royal blue kippah
Kippah means “dome”: a brimless cap worn as a sign of reverence and humility. Crocheted ones like this appeared in the late 1940s. This one never comes off.
The curly payot
Payot are sidelocks, tied to a verse in Leviticus about the corners of the head. Many Hasidic and Yemenite Jews wear them long and curled, just like our cat.
Why a cat?
Cats have an old, quiet place in the tradition. Synagogue cats once kept the library safe from mice, and the sages held up the cat as a teacher of modesty.
Had the Torah not been given, we would have learned modesty from the cat.
Rabbi Yochanan, Talmud (Eruvin 100b)
Cultural notes drawn from Wikipedia, My Jewish Learning and Chabad.org. Made with love and respect for the traditions behind the symbols.
PFP maker
Dress the cat. Keep the kippah.
Type an outfit and something for him to hold. The cat, his face, the royal blue kippah and the payot are locked in every single generation.
Character locked
The gallery
Straight from the group chat.
Tap any one to see it full size and save it. Post them, spam them, make better ones.