Alliterative, but wrong

Your reporter incorrectly identified the cute little beast in the photo that accompanied the page 3 article in your April 20 issue, “A Father is ‘Driven’ to plague Jon Stewart.” It’s a donkey, not a mule. I know “Moses” and “mules” is a more alliterative pairing than “Moses” and “donkeys,” but I doubt that Moses would have used a mule. Mules may have been bred in biblical times, but probably not by the Israelites. Mules are hybrids, “unnatural” offspring produced by crossing a jack (male donkey) with a mare (female horse). My guess is that would not be permitted by halachah.

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