How Do Venomous Animals Not Poison Themselves? 5 Points to Ponder

How Do Venomous Animals Avoid Self-Poisoning?

Snakes bite, poisonous frogs, venomous spiders, bombardier beetles, and more. There's a vast array of wonderful yet very dangerous creatures in nature - venomous animals using venom and poison to defend themselves from predators or to stun and capture their prey.

So, how don't these creatures poison themselves? How does their venom not harm them?

One method involves safe storage of these toxic substances. Venomous creatures protect themselves from their own venom by producing and storing it in designated organs, preventing contact with other body systems. In snakes, for example, this is achieved through a body cell containing the venom, which has a single outlet (toward the attacker).

The second defense method is developing a "resistance" to these substances,a sort of vaccine allowing them to handle the dangerous materials in their body without getting hurt. If these animals inject venom to catch prey, they must find a way to protect themselves from the venom they injected. These creatures typically have digestive enzymes designed to break down their own venom, so the venom proteins decompose during digestion and don't reach the bloodstream, thereby not endangering the predator. Without such an adaptation, they wouldn't survive. For instance, vipers have a protein in their body that neutralizes the venom.

Venom or poison is one of the most efficient and amazing defense and attack mechanisms in nature.So,who is the "scientist" that created this toxic chemical formula in these animals,and its corresponding antibodies? Who is the "chemist" that instilled this precise dosage? Who "crafted" the venom capable of killing an elephant with a single bite? There are countless miraculous examples from the animal world. So I ask: is there "intelligence" in the tiny brains of these poison-bearing creatures like snakes, spiders, beetles, etc., that enables them to preserve their lives in such sophisticated ways - or does this clearly point to the Creator who equipped them with all they need, and implanted in them the instinct to use this equipment?

One Word That Shows We Are the Chosen People!

If I told you there's one word, one word that shows we are the chosen people, a word that proves the Jewish people continue the path of our forefathers, a word that testifies all nations of the world recognize this, even without realizing it?

I'm not mistaken. The word is antisemitism. A term meaning Jew hatred or Israel hatred.

But what's the connection between anti and "Shem"? Why doesn't the world express this term as "anti-Jew" / "anti-Jewish" or any other word that clearly refers to Jews? Isn't it peculiar that all nations, without exception, define Jew hatred with the term anti-Shem? And what's the connection between the term's literal meaning "against Shemites" - essentially hatred of all the Semitic race, and Jew hatred?

All nations of the world know what, unfortunately, we sometimes forget. We Jews are "Shemites," because we follow in the path of "Shem."

Shem was Noah's son, Ham and Japheth's brother. Shem was a great Torah scholar who founded the "Shem and Ever" yeshiva after the flood, where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob studied. The Torah teaches us that the Israelites are considered Shem's spiritual successors: "And to Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, there were children born" (Genesis 10:21).

What's surprising is that even the non-Jews chose to name us after Shem, emphasizing our loyalty and association with the path of our patriarchs. Jews worldwide are called "people of Shem," indicating they perceive us as the only nation faithfully continuing the holy path of the forefathers for thousands of years without straying to idolatry and foreign cultures.

It's fascinating to see how the Creator orchestrates history in such a way that even the nations of the world call us "Shemites" and define their hatred toward us as "antisemitism." In this strange and puzzling manner, all nations testify that they don't see themselves under the divine identity and don't feel loyalty to the path of their forefathers, which only the Jewish people do...

The Human Engineer

It's known that a woman's body and function differ significantly from a man's.

A woman has a wider pelvis and narrow shoulders, while a man has broad shoulders and a narrow pelvis. The female anatomical structure - wide pelvis, short legs - contributes to greater stability and better balance. And I ask, why? What's the reasoning behind it? Why does a woman need more stability and balance than a man? She's shorter than the man and has a lower body weight than him?

The answer is simple. Physically, Hashem created the woman as one builds a building - with a wide base at the bottom tapering upwards, to ensure stability and place the weight of the load on the ground, not the walls. Thus, Hashem designed the woman, wide at the bottom and narrow at the top, so the burden of carrying a fetus doesn't weigh heavily on her (Genesis Rabbah 18:3)...

In other words, a woman carrying a fetus needs to "bear" the burden of tens of kilograms for an extended period. Therefore, in His mercy and kindness, Hashem "engineered" her body to favor her, ensuring the task of carrying a fetus doesn't unduly burden her.

Give a man to bear several extra kilograms in his belly, and you'll see how his stability falters instantly... Sowho engineered the woman's body in a way that's beneficial to her and doesn't burden her with carrying a fetus?

Lumberjacks

A question. Do you think there’s any chance that a living creature can knock its head hard and fast against a tree hundreds of times a day and not suffer a concussion? Moreover, do these knocks actually benefit and serve it in daily life? Is it logical?

Meet the woodpecker, a bird whose head banging on trees is a daily routine: the woodpecker bores into trees (usually rotten or old ones) when searching for food - insect larvae, carving a nest, or announcing its territory.

The woodpecker taps with its beak on the trunk, stops, and listens... it tries to hear the movement of insects responding to the taps, and it can also discern, from the echo of the tap, whether there's a larva tunnel behind the bark. Once it detects movement or locates a tunnel, it drums on the tree - strongly and vigorously, exposes the tunnel, and extracts the juicy larva with its long tongue.

So, how does the woodpecker not get a headache from its strong and rapid tapping on trees? Take note of the following wonder: the woodpecker has spongy bones in its skull, whose special structure functions as shock absorbers, allowing the woodpecker to withstand the immense pressure of pecking.

Indeed, the woodpecker's head structure is adapted to drilling into tree trunks: as mentioned, its skull contains shock absorbers that protect its brain from the strong blows, its beak is long and robust, and its neck muscles are well developed. Retrieving insects is done with its unique tongue - twice as long as the head's diameter, sticky, and equipped with barbs.

And I ask, who taught the woodpecker, this small bird, about 20 cm in size and weighing around 70 grams, to hew trees? Who created such a perfect match between the woodpecker's body and head structure and its function? And who is the "neurological surgeon" that installed "shock absorbers" in the woodpecker's head?

"Hope in Hashem, be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, hope in Hashem."

How can someone strengthen themselves to continue praying time after time, after seeing that ostensibly their prayer wasn't answered?

Everyone should know that no prayer is ever lost because Hashem hears the prayer of every mouth. Every prayer we offer certainly makes its way to heaven, and there are various reasons why we do not immediately see the results of our prayers. Rabbi Shalom Arush, in his book "In the Field," highly recommended, mentions some reasons, to provide strength during challenging times, knowing that there are many hidden aspects to prayer.

Firstly, every prayer has its time: one must know that every prayer has its designated time. Some prayers are answered after 40 days, others after twenty, or even three days...

Secondly, it's a test: Since no one can know when heaven has determined for their prayers to be answered, one should desire to pray as many prayers as necessary until granted their request, and this is their test. Indeed, it is actually to their benefit that the fulfillment of their prayers is delayed because Hashem knows when it is best for their request to be granted. Therefore, one should strengthen their faith that Hashem loves them and does the best for them; they should continue to pray persistently, and not despair from praying, God forbid.

Moreover, if a person's prayer were answered immediately, where would be the free choice?

Thirdly, descendants benefit from this: A person's prayer is never in vain. If it is not fulfilled for them, it is fulfilled for their descendants. Sometimes a person prays a lot and sees no results, thinking their prayers have been lost. But that's not the case; rather, their prayer is stored for their descendants. In the merit of their prayers, their descendants will experience goodness and salvation; they will not know why they received these blessings and certainly not imagine that one of their forefathers stood and prayed extensively, lamented, felt sorrow, perhaps thinking their prayers bore no fruit, while their descendants now enjoy the benefits.

Fourthly, a conversion: Sometimes a person prays for one thing, and they are given something else. That is, sometimes one prays for things they feel are most necessary, but heaven sees they can manage without them, yet there is another significant matter of great need, or they have an unrecognized severe decree against them, and they require salvation from that much more than the things they pray for. Thus, those prayers are used and redirected to fulfill the essential need or to cancel the severe decree, showcasing that their prayer had a major effect, though without their awareness.

The main point is to strengthen oneself with simple faith that prayer always influences. If you don't see the results, know there is a good reason, as everything orchestrated from heaven is for the best. One must strengthen and believe that the moment they open their mouth in prayer, every word is received and takes effect. Always believe in your prayer and let no thought weaken your resolve to pray.