In
the Jewish tradition, as in the Christian, fish are symbolic of fertility and
abundance. They thus appear on a wide variety of Judaica objects and manuscripts.
The prevalence of the fish symbol on illustrated ketubbot (wedding manuscripts)
and on amulets for barren women is quite obvious.
Many
spice boxes, used in the Havdalah ceremony which bids goodbye to
the Sabbath on Saturday evening, are shaped like fish. The Havdalah
ceremony closes with the words, "May He who separates between the
sacred and the everyday, forgive our sins and cause our children and our
money to multiply like the sand"; the use of the fish as a symbol
of abundance is thus understandable in this context.
There
is a strong association between fishes and the festival of Purim. The
fish sign is found also on Adar tablets called Misheniknas, from
the initial word of the expression: Misheniknas Adar marbim b'simcha
— When the month of Adar begins, we make plenty
of merry.[*]. These paper wall
tablets, used chiefly in Galicia, are decorated with picures of drinking
men, wine bottles, and two symbols of fertility —
fishes and the stork.
Plates
for sending food gifts (mishloah manot) on Purim and even the forms
themselves for baking Purim cakes, often used the shape of a fish. In
addition to its association with plenty (because of the corresponding
verse "in Adar we make plenty of merry"), the fish symbolizes
the month itself, whose zodiac sign is Pisces.
In
the Jewish tradition, as in the Christian, fish are symbolic of fertility and
abundance. They thus appear on a wide variety of Judaica objects and manuscripts.
There
is a strong association between fishes and the festival of Purim. The
fish sign is found also on Adar tablets called Misheniknas, from
the initial word of the expression: Misheniknas Adar marbim b'simcha
— When the month of Adar begins, we make plenty
of merry.
