Is Vegetarianism a Jewish Ideal?

In the biblical creation story “humans and animals were on the same side of the knife and fork (and tooth and claw).” (Jeremy Benstein The Way into Judaism and the Environment as quoted by Rabbi Shai Held in http://www.mechonhadar.org/torah-resource/vegetarianism-ideal-jews)

Seeing the devastation wrought by the deluge, the survivors of the flood worry about dying of starvation. Taking note of their fears, God effectively answers, “If there is no fruit for you to eat, take from the animals for your food.” (Rav Isaac Abravanel 1437-1508, as quoted by Rabbi Shai Held in http://www.mechonhadar.org/torah-resource/vegetarianism-ideal-jews)

The prohibition on eating blood serves as a reminder of God’s ideal in a time when a compromise has become necessary. “Apparently, the Torah seeks to convey that in principle man should refrain from eating meat.” The prohibition on blood “implies respect for the principle of life (‘for the blood is the life’), and it serves also... to remind us that rightly all parts of the flesh should have been forbidden. It behooves us, therefore, to eschew eating at least one element thereof in order to remember the earlier prohibition.” (Moshe David Cassuto 1883-1951, as quoted by Rabbi Shai Held in http://www.mechonhadar.org/torah-resource/vegetarianism-ideal-jews)

“Ideally, humankind should be sustained by the produce of the earth. When, instead, other living creatures are used as food, as is permitted, such use should be restricted to living creatures that sustain themselves with what grows on the earth and that do not prey on other living creatures or attack man... Humans are unable to live up to the vegetarian ideal set forth at creation; God compromises and allows humanity to eat meat. But Israel wishes to adhere to that ideal, even in compromised fashion, and therefore Israel consumes only those animals that themselves have not killed other animals.” ” (Baruch A. Levine, Leviticus )

The Original Paleo Diet… “There can be no doubt in the mind of any intelligent, thinking person that when the Torah instructs humankind to dominate – "And have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves upon the Earth" (Genesis 1:28) – it does not mean the domination of a harsh ruler, who afflicts his people and servants merely to fulfill his personal whim and desire, according to the crookedness of his heart. It is unthinkable that the Torah would impose such a decree of servitude, sealed for all eternity, upon the world of God, Who is "good to all, and His mercy is upon all His works" (Psalms 145:9), and Who declared, "The world shall be built upon kindness" (Psalms 89:3). Moreover, the Torah attests that all humanity once possessed this lofty moral level. Citing scriptural proofs, our Sages explain (Sanhedrin 57a) that Adam was not permitted to eat meat: "Behold, I have given you every tree... yielding seed for food" (Genesis 1:29). Eating meat was permitted to the children of Noah only after the Flood: "Like the green herb, I have given you everything" (Genesis 9:3). Is it conceivable that this moral excellence, which once existed as an inherent human characteristic, should be lost forever? Concerning these and similar matters, it states, "I shall bring knowledge from afar, and unto my Maker I shall ascribe righteousness" (Job 36:3). In the future, God shall cause us to make great spiritual strides, and thus extricate us from this complex question. (Rav Yitzchak HaCohen Kook Vision of Vegetarianism and Peace)

Animals During the Messianic Era… “At the end of days an inner thirst will prompt each person to search for someone upon whom to confer benevolence, upon whom to pour forth his overflowing spirit of kindness, but none will be found. For all humanity already will have attained happiness, living lives of delight, gratification, and prosperity in every sense – materially, ethically, and intellectually. Then, with all its store of wisdom, its collective insight and experience, humanity will turn toward its brothers on lower levels of Creation, the mute and the downtrodden, including the animal kingdom. And they will seek means to share wisdom with them, to instruct and enlighten them according to their abilities, thus to elevate them from level to level. There is no question that humanity will take an active part in this when the time comes to accomplish this mission. Beyond all doubt, humanity will share the enlightenment of the Torah with the animal kingdom, affecting their physical development and, all the more so, their ethical and spiritual development. This state of enlightenment will reach such a lofty level that we cannot imagine it at present, due to our lowliness and lack of wisdom. All beings shall receive a new, exalted form – a new world. [This is implied by the words of our sages:] "If they so desired, the tzaddikim could create a world" (Sanhedrin 65b).” (Rav Kook A Vision...)

❏What is your reaction to Rabbi Rubenstein’s argument about the purpose of kosher laws?

❏What do you think about Rabbi Herzfeld’s understanding of kosher slaughter?

If a person released water that flowed and spun a wheel, and the knife slaughtered properly, this is considered kosher, but only after-the-fact. And this is only the first spin, which contains human force; but on the second or third spin, the animal is not kosher, since it wasn’t slaughtered from human force but rather the force of water.

(Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 7)

❏The rabbis engage with the question of mechanized slaughter. How do you understand their response?

❏Why do you think human engagement and human force are so important to kosher slaughter?

“A person should only eat meat on rare appointed occasions, and the reason is that a person should not become accustomed to eating meat, as it is written, ‘You shall eat meat with all your desire. Eat it, however, as you eat the gazelle and the deer…’ (Deut. 12:21-22) This means that you should eat meat by circumstance rather than in a set way. For the gazelle and the deer are not easily found around human dwellings... Consequently, since one eats them rarely, he will not come to habituate himself to eating ordinary meat since it gives birth to cruelty and other bad qualities in the body of a the person. For it is the birds of prey that kill and eat meat, and the lion that kills prey and eats. Therefore it says that in the future, ‘The lion like the ox will eat straw. For there will be peace between all living creatures.’ (Isaiah 11:7)” (Kli Yakar on Chulin 84a)