 |
Vic Simpson, a pathologist who examined some of the 26 dead mammals, said today: "On the face of it, it looks like some sort of mass suicide - but the question is why? The dolphins had swallowed and inhaled big chunks of mud from the estuary. Their lungs and stomachs were full of it. That is very bizarre indeed."According to the UK Daily Mail, "Experts say dolphins have been known to take their own lives whilst living in captivity after becoming distressed and confused at their conditions."
A friend, who I consider a mekubal, heard the news of about the massive bird deaths earlier this week. His first reaction was "they committed suicide".
In Chasidic thought, knowing the language of the animals and birds is considered a high level of spiritual attunement. While human beings are unique in their intellectual and analytic abilities, according to Jewish tradition, animals are in some senses 'closer' to nature, and thereby to their creator. In this way behavior of the animals worldwide is a kind of crying out of the spiritual sensitive of the world.
