By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel
CHULA VISTA, California — While practicing law, George G. Vest, a former U. S. Senator from Missouri, defended a farmer whose dog was involved in a minor damage suit. Here is part of his speech:
- “The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous—is his dog. When all other friends desert a person, the dog eagerly waits for his master’s return. When riches take wings and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens. If fortune drives the master forth an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him to guard against danger, to fight against his enemies. And, when the last scene of all comes, and death takes the master in his embrace, and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by the graveside will be found the noble dog, his head between his paws, his sad eyes alert and watchful, still faithful and true even in death.”
With this impassioned plea, Vest won a favorable verdict from the jury.
This week’s parsha contains numerous precepts pertaining to how we should treat animal world.
Our actions reflect ethical values, not just with respect to the human beings, but also with respect to how we treat animals. As creatures of God, they have moral standing in Jewish tradition. Just as we must show proper stewardship toward the vegetable world, we must show responsible stewardship toward all of God’s magnificent creatures—great and small.
Our moral education begins in how we teach our children the importance of acting considerately toward God’s creatures.
Many psychological studies of criminals have consistently shown that a child that commits violent acts against an animal may very well grow up to and do the same to human beings. There is a lovely teaching expressed in the Sefer HaChinuch – adam nifal cfee piulatov—“A human being is shaped by his behavior.”
In other words, if a person who has mediocre character does kindly deeds, then that person’s character shall greatly be improved. If a person has good character, but they engage in evil deeds, then that person’s behavior shall become coarsened in the process.
One of the themes of this week’s parsha that is of particular notice are the precepts pertaining to the treatment of animals. Long before the emergence of the S.P.C.A. back in 1824, the Torah has long been concerned with the treatment of animals.
The Torah seems to indicate that the measure of a person’s faith and character is reflected in the way one treats animals. In Proverbs we are told that the righteous person is considerate to the needs of his animals. It is not coincidental that the great leaders of Israel started their careers as shepherds.
Unfortunately, it is common to hear people criticize the Bible for promoting cruelty towards animals. There are many examples to refute this erroneous notion.
Here are a few examples:
- You shall not plow with an ox and an ass together. (Deut. 22:10)
Ibn Ezra explains that the yoking of any two animals would cause discomfort for the stronger animal while distressing the weaker animal. Likewise, the Torah enjoins us from muzzling an ox when it is treading corn. The animal has basic rights also; it is entitled to benefit from its labor. Indeed, a person that muzzles an ox, may very well muzzle his human workers also.
According to Rabbi Hertz, in the 1920s, this problem actually occurred in Italy when migrant workers were muzzled so they wouldn’t eat any of the grapes used for making wine.
Another way to think of this is simple: Just as you are unique, so is your donkey and ox. Don’t treat both animals as if they were the same. When you think about it, it is no less true with the way we treat ourselves or our children. The Torah stresses that God made each creature uniquely and differently.
This week’s Torah portion abounds with other examples:
This week’s parsha talks about sending the mother bird away before taking its eggs for food. Both mother and child must never be slaughtered on the same day.
If you chance to come upon a bird’s nest, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting upon the young or upon the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young;
- You shall let the mother go, but the young you may take to yourself; that it may go well with you, and that you may live long. (Deut. 22:6 -7)
Nachmanides (Ramban), in his commentary on verse 6, compares this commandment with the prohibition of killing a domesticated animal and its offspring on the same day (Leviticus 22:28). He offers two rationales for these commandments: “The rationale for both, that we not develop a cruel heart so that we do not have mercy, or that the Writ has not permitted us to lay waste, to make a species extinct, even though it has permitted slaughter of members of the species.” Ramban sees the precept in ecological terms. Human beings since the time of Adam are commanded to act as God’s stewards of Creation. The human desire for meat must never lead us to destroy a species for the sake of human consumption.
Maimonides offers an entirely different rationale for this commandment. “The reason for sending away the mother bird, and for not slaughtering the animal and its child on one day, is to warn us not to slaughter the child in the sight of the mother, for the animal’s suffering in such instances is very great; there is no difference between the concern of a human and the concern of an animal for its children, for the love of a mother and her care for the children of her womb is not brought about by reason and speech, but by the action of the power of thought [or imagination], found among animals as it is among humans” (“Guide of the Perplexed,” 50:48).
Maimonides understands that the animal’s ability to feel emotional pain gives it moral standing. According to Maimonides, the Torah prohibits these acts because of their impact on the animal. The manner in which we treat animals has an impact upon how we treat human beings as well.
Perhaps one of the best examples is the prohibition not to cook a calf in its mother’s milk. “Milk,” as Philo of Alexandria (ca. 1st century) points out, “is meant for the young calf’s life. Mother’s milk was not ever meant to be used to cook its young.”
This respect for life does have a therapeutic effect upon human beings. The more we are sensitive to animals’ feelings, the more we will become sensitive toward each other. Life is sacred, and it must not be treated lightly. To Aristotle, animals were nothing more than automatons—machines. This thinking persisted even until modern times. Animals are called nefesh hayeem – the souls of living things. Human beings aren’t the only beings with souls, animals have a soul also.
Elsewhere we are instructed to feed our animals before we feed ourselves.
Many years ago when I visited Mexico for a vacation, some of the exciting tourist sites were the Spanish Bull-Fights. Friends invited me to attend the bull-fights. I was reminded of what Albert Schweitzer once wrote about his experiences in Barcelona and I politely refused.
- In bright dresses, and fluttering head scarves, all the young women were going in one direction: the arena. They were going to witness how enraged bulls would slit open the bellies of poor mules with their horns, and then how they themselves to the jubilation of the crowds were tortured to death. The director of the large music society whose guest I was, addressed me, saying, You must come! You must see it at least once; otherwise you won’t know what Spain is! . . . . The man was a deeply pious artist with whom I was seriously conversing just this morning concerning Christianity.
After I read this passage, it suddenly dawned at me the obvious – wasn’t Spain the same country that tortured and persecuted millions of people world over with their infamous Inquisition?
Would it be too speculative to suggest that the way animals are treated in this society is paralleled by the way these societies treat their own people?
Perhaps this is why our Sages said so long ago, adam nifal cfee piulatov – “A human being is shaped by his behavior.” This observation is no less true even today.
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Rabbi Samuel is spiritual leadr of Temple Beth Shalom in San Diego. He may be contacted at michael.samuel@sdjewishworld.com
I love this. And animals are the reason i am vegetarian for more than 30 years now.