Animal Cruelty and Jewish Beliefs

ByAJWS Staff

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Jerusalem Talmud Yevamot 15:3

רבי לעזר אמר אין אדם רשאי ליקח לו בהמה חיה ועוף אלא אם כן התקין להן מזונות

Jerusalem_Talmud_Yevamot.15a.3

"Rabbi Elazar ruled: One may not purchase a domestic or wild animal or a fowl unless one is able to feed it properly." [Translation by Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. Why aren’t you allowed to buy an animal until you are able provide it food?
2. What can we learn from this text about animal cruelty? How else can we apply Rabbi Elazar’s teaching?

Babylonian Talmud, Brachot 40a

דאמר רב יהודה אמר רב אסור לאדם שיאכל קודם שיתן מאכל לבהמתו שנאמר +דברים י"א+ ונתתי עשב בשדך לבהמתך והדר ואכלת ושבעת

Berakhot.40a

Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: It is forbidden to eat before feeding one's animal, as it says, "I will give grass in thy fields for thy cattle, and then, thou shalt eat and be satisfied" (Deuteronomy 11). [translation by Soncino, edited for accessibility and gender neutrality]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. Is this statement different from an assertion that "One must make sure that one's animals are properly fed at all times?" How so?

Rambam, Guide for the Perplexed Part 3 48:3

Translation	Original
It is prohibited to kill an animal with its young on the same day (Lev. 22: 28), in order that people should be restrained and prevented from killing the two together in such a manner that the young is slain in the sight of the mother; for the pain of the animals under such circumstances is very great. There is no difference in this case between the pain of humans and the pain of other living beings..." [AJWS translation]	וכן אסר לשחוט אותו ואת בנו ביום אחד, להשמר ולהרחיק לשחוט משניהם הבן לעיני האם, כי צער בעלי חיים בזה גדול מאד, אין הפרש בין צער האדם עליו וצער שאר ב"ח,

Translation

Original

It is prohibited to kill an animal with its young on the same day (Lev. 22: 28), in order that people should be restrained and prevented from killing the two together in such a manner that the young is slain in the sight of the mother; for the pain of the animals under such circumstances is very great. There is no difference in this case between the pain of humans and the pain of other living beings..." [AJWS translation]

וכן אסר לשחוט אותו ואת בנו ביום אחד, להשמר ולהרחיק לשחוט משניהם הבן לעיני האם, כי צער בעלי חיים בזה גדול מאד, אין הפרש בין צער האדם עליו וצער שאר ב"ח,

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. Why are we commanded not to kill an animal with its young on the same day?
2. How can we ensure that our food is produced under more ethical and mindful conditions? Why is this necessary?

Genesis 9:3-4

ג) כָּל רֶמֶשׂ אֲשֶׁר הוּא חַי לָכֶם יִהְיֶה לְאָכְלָה כְּיֶרֶק עֵשֶׂב נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת כֹּל: ד) אַךְ בָּשָׂר בְּנַפְשׁוֹ דָמוֹ לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ:

Genesis.9.3-4

3) Every moving thing that liveth shall be for food for you; as the green herb have I given you all. 4) Only flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. [Translation by mechon-mamre.org]

Suggested Discussion Questions

Why would we not be allowed to eat meat off of a living animal?