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Jewish Spirituality
Eco Judaism
Hilton Head Island, SC, Bluffton, SC, Savannah, GA
Shalom and Peace:
We continue our discussion of Judaism's teachings regarding living with others and our environment. Today we will explore: "Love all creatures and respect them.'' (Talmud Bavli Tractate Derek Eretz Zuta).
I can hear it now: "Rabbi Segal, for years you have been trying to get me to love my neighbor, the one who mows his lawn at 6 AM every Sunday. And now you want me to love his dog, who howls at the moon every night until 2 AM?!''
What we are being taught is the value of all life. Judaism is devoted to the fair treatment of animals. We cannot have two animals of different strength pull the same wagon as this harms the smaller animal, (Deut.22:10). We are forbidden to muzzle an ox to prevent it from eating while it is working in the field (Deut. 25:4).
You cannot have your dog retrieve the paper for you on Shabbat. Our pets and animals get a day of rest as well. (Ex. 20:10). We must feed our animals before we feed ourselves. (Talmud Bavli Tractate Beracoth 40a).
Humankind was vegetarian up to the time right after The Flood, (Gen. 9:3). We see how horrid humans were to each other and to their animals. Judaism doesn't believe that vegetarianism alone makes one a better person. In the Messianic age, however, humans will be vegetarian.
Judaism does ask us to take the life of animals for our own benefit sparingly. This is emphasized when the Torah asks us via Talmudic reasoning, not to eat milk and meat together. They are two life forces: blood and milk. If we have to use animals to sustain ourselves, let us not be ''pigs'' about it.
One of the gentlest commandments in the Torah is to move away a hen from her nest, before one takes her eggs. (Deut. 22:6-7).
"A righteous man knows the soul of his animal '' (Proverbs 12:10). Derek Eretz demands kindness, love and respect from us not only to our fellow humans but to all animals as well. The primary principle behind the treatment of animals in Jewish law is preventing tza'ar ba'alei chayim, the suffering of living creatures.
The Talmud tells the story of our great rabbi, Judah Ha-Nasi, c. 200 CE, who was punished with years of kidney stones because he was insensitive to the fear of a calf being led to slaughter. He cruelly told the calf: "Go — for this purpose you were created.'' He was relieved years later from his illness when he showed kindness to baby weasels . (Talmud Bavli Tractate Bava Metzia 85a ).
If we are to show kindness to weasels, how much more kindness are we expected to show to our fellow humans?
Rabbi Arthur Segal is an international lecturer, author, and teacher. Visit him at www.JewishSpiritualRenewal.org. Follow him on FaceBook at 'Arthur L Segal', on Twitter at RabbiASegal, or his blog at http://rabbiarthursegal.blogspot.com . Email at RabbiSegal@JewishSpiritualRenewal.net .
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
Jewish Spirituality
Eco Judaism
Hilton Head Island, SC, Bluffton, SC, Savannah, GA
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