Animals and plants – sometimes it's really difficult to state whether they were used as a symbol or just as a decoration. Animals are often a reference to the name of the deceased. The lion corresponds with the name Ari, Leib, Löw (Loew), etc. The lion is also the symbol of the tribe of Judah. The deer is a reference to such names as Hirsch, Herschel, etc. The deer is a symbol of the tribe of Naphtali, Jacob's sixth son whose mother was Rachel's handmaid (Genesis 30: 7-8). The Talmud states: "Be as enduring as the tiger, as free as the eagle, as fleet as the deer, as strong as the lion, so as to fulfill the will of your Father in Heaven.