Torah aNd aNiMaLs

Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman

QI find it interesting that one of the seven universal Noahide Laws in the Torah, which apply to all humanity, is the prohibition against eating the limb of a living animal. It seems like an odd choice for a rule to govern universal morality and human interactions, which is what the other six laws are about. What is the significance of this law, and what does this say about Torah’s view on cruelty to animals?

You are right that the law against eating the limb of a living animal does not seem to fit with the other six of the seven Noahide Laws: Do not worship idols; Do not curse G‑d; Do not murder; Do not steal; Do not commit adultery; Set up courts of justice.

How do you know that someone is truly a good person, and not just preaching? One test is to observe the way they treat subordinates. Someone who can show concern for those who are lower and more helpless than themselves is a person who is truly good.

And so, in formulating laws for all mankind, the Torah gives seven commandments that are considered seven categories of ethical behavior. The prohibition to steal includes all dishonest and unethical business practices. The outlawing of adultery encompasses all inappropriate relationships. And the ban on eating the limb of a live animal is a general law which commands us to be kind to animals. In fact, Jewish law prohibits inflicting unnecessary pain on animals.

These are not arbitrary categories of law. They cover the full gamut of moral obligation toward our fellow beings: respect for G‑d who is above us, respect for human beings who are equal to us, and respect for the animal kingdom beneath us. There is a clear hierarchy here. We are not equal with G‑d, and animals are not equal to humans. The myth of equality is necessary only to protect the weak in a world devoid of morality. But moral beings with a clear code of ethics can recognize the innate inequality of nature without exploiting it. Being higher means being more responsible. Nature is here to serve us, but we are here to serve G‑d, and that means treating all His creatures, equal or not, with respect.

The Babylonian Talmud relates the following: Rabbi Yehuda HaNassi was a perfect tzaddik, yet he suffered great pain. How did it begin? Through a deed of his. He was walking through the marketplace when a calf being led to the slaughter ran to him and hid under his cloak. He told the calf, "Go. For this you were created." That is when his suffering began. And it ended through another deed. His maid was sweeping the floor and found the young of a weasel nested beneath the boards. She began to sweep them away, when he stopped her. "It is written," he said, "that His compassion is upon all of His works." That is when his suffering ceased.

The Torah commands us not to cause unnecessary pain to any living being. No distinction is made whether that living being is a cow or a lizard or a fly. Rabbi Sholom Dovber of Lubavitch (the Rebbe Rashab) even once chided his son, the future Rebbe Rayatz, for tearing a leaf off a tree, saying, "What makes you think that the 'I' of the leaf is the lesser than your own 'I'?"

Even when it is deemed necessary to consume the life of another, there are rules. An empty minded person, the sages taught, has no right to eat meat. They also said to never eat meat out of hunger first satisfy the hunger with bread. A person who eats meat solely for his palate and for his stomach degrades both himself and the animal. But if it is "mindful eating" — eating for the sake of harnessing that animal's energies to do good; eating that lifts the animal into a new realm of being; eating to give at least as much to the animal as it gives to us — then it becomes a way of connecting with the Divine and elevating our universe. EM

Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman is the Senior Rabbi of the Jewish Russian Community Centre of Ontario. You can Ask the Rabbi at jrcc.org or fax to 416.222.7812. To meet with Rabbi Zaltzman in person, feel free to call 416.222.7105 to book an appointment. Appointments are generally available on Wednesday evenings after 7pm. Rebbitzin Chiena Zaltzman is also available for private consultations by appointment on Wednesday evenings from 9 to 10pm by calling 416.222.7105.

Рабби, затронув недавно тему о чудесах Ребе, мы получили многочисленные отклики, в которых читатели просят продолжения. Пожалуйста. Вот еще один рассказ. Еврейский бизнесмен по имени Макс Коэн жил в Англии в городе Манчестер. Он вел бизнес в странах Дальнего Востока. Однажды, как обычно, он планировал деловую поездку на Дальний Восток, в том числе хотел заехать в Бангладеш. Перед тем, как уже должен был отправляться, из новостей он узнал, что тропические ливни, обрушившиеся на Бангладеш, залили всю страну – случилось буквально наводнение. Он стал сомневаться в целесообразности поездки – путешествие могло обернуться серьезной опасностью. В то время брат его жены учился в Нью-Йорке в «Севен Севенти» у Ребе. Макс Коэн звонит шурину в Нью-Йорк и говорит: «Пожалуйста, пойди в воскресенье к Ребе (Ребе обычно по воскресеньям встречался людьми, которые выстраивались в длинную очередь) и спроси, имеет ли смысл мне ехать в Бангладеш, так как там идут непрекращающиеся ливни». Тем не менее, к поездке он был уже готов и решил, не теряя времени, из Манчестера отправиться в Лондон, откуда потом должно было начаться путешествие на Дальний Восток. По приезду в Лондон он связывается с шурином, чтобы узнать информацию от Ребе. «Ребе ответил, - сказал шурин, - что ливни уже закончились, и ты не только можешь, но и должен ехать в поездку. Ребе дал мне для тебя доллар»... The article above is excerpted from the Russian edition of Exodus Magazine. To subscribe, please visit exodusmagazine.org or call 416.222.7105.

Students at JRCC Maple Hebrew School were awarded for their achievements in the Hebrew Reading Aleph Champ program during a fun Challah Baking event. Every child received their color coded medal, and they're working hard to achieve Black Champ! We sincerely thank our teen volunteers for their diligent work as they coached our students week in and out and brought them to these great achievements.

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