The Permissibility of Killing Animals

כִּֽי־יַרְחִיב֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֥יךָ אֶֽת־גְּבֻלְךָ֮ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּר־לָךְ֒ וְאָמַרְתָּ֙ אֹכְלָ֣ה בָשָׂ֔ר כִּֽי־תְאַוֶּ֥ה נַפְשְׁךָ֖ לֶאֱכֹ֣ל בָּשָׂ֑ר בְּכׇל־אַוַּ֥ת נַפְשְׁךָ֖ תֹּאכַ֥ל בָּשָֽׂר׃

When GOD enlarges your territory, as promised, and you say, “I shall eat some meat,” for you have the urge to eat meat, you may eat meat whenever you wish.

כׇּל־רֶ֙מֶשׂ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הוּא־חַ֔י לָכֶ֥ם יִהְיֶ֖ה לְאׇכְלָ֑ה כְּיֶ֣רֶק עֵ֔שֶׂב נָתַ֥תִּי לָכֶ֖ם אֶת־כֹּֽל׃

Every creature that lives shall be yours to eat; as with the green grasses, I give you all these.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים הִנֵּה֩ נָתַ֨תִּי לָכֶ֜ם אֶת־כׇּל־עֵ֣שֶׂב ׀ זֹרֵ֣עַ זֶ֗רַע אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י כׇל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְאֶת־כׇּל־הָעֵ֛ץ אֲשֶׁר־בּ֥וֹ פְרִי־עֵ֖ץ זֹרֵ֣עַ זָ֑רַע לָכֶ֥ם יִֽהְיֶ֖ה לְאׇכְלָֽה׃ וּֽלְכׇל־חַיַּ֣ת הָ֠אָ֠רֶץ וּלְכׇל־ע֨וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם וּלְכֹ֣ל ׀ רוֹמֵ֣שׂ עַל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־בּוֹ֙ נֶ֣פֶשׁ חַיָּ֔ה אֶת־כׇּל־יֶ֥רֶק עֵ֖שֶׂב לְאׇכְלָ֑ה וַֽיְהִי־כֵֽן׃

God said, “See, I give you every seed-bearing plant that is upon all the earth, and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit; they shall be yours for food. And to all the animals on land, to all the birds of the sky, and to everything that creeps on earth, in which there is the breath of life, [I give] all the green plants for food.” And it was so.

מִדִּבְרֵי שְׁנֵיהֶם נִלְמַד צַעַר בַּעֲלֵי חַיִּים דְּאוֹרָיְיתָא. וַאֲפִילּוּ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן לָא קָאָמַר, אֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם דְּלָא מְסַיְּימִי קְרָאֵי. אֲבָל מְסַיְּימִי קְרָאֵי דָּרְשִׁינַן קַל וָחוֹמֶר, מִשּׁוּם מַאי? לָאו מִשּׁוּם צַעַר בַּעֲלֵי חַיִּים דָּרְשִׁינַן? תֵּדַע דְּצַעַר בַּעֲלֵי חַיִּים דְּאוֹרָיְיתָא, דְּקָתָנֵי סֵיפָא: רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי אוֹמֵר: אִם הָיָה עָלָיו יָתֵר [עַל] מַשָּׂאוֹ – אֵין זָקוּק לוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״תַּחַת מַשָּׂאוֹ״, מַשּׂאוֹי שֶׁיָּכוֹל לַעֲמוֹד בּוֹ. לָאו מִכְּלָל דְּתַנָּא קַמָּא סָבַר זָקוּק לוֹ? מַאי טַעְמָא? לָאו מִשּׁוּם דְּצַעַר בַּעֲלֵי חַיִּים דְּאוֹרָיְיתָא?

From the statements of both of these tanna’im it can be learned that the requirement to prevent suffering to animals is by Torah law. As even Rabbi Shimon says that he disagreed with the opinion of the Rabbis only because the verses are not clearly defined; but had the verses been clearly defined, we would have learned the same a fortiori inference. Due to what factor can that inference be learned? What, is it not due to the matter of suffering of animals, which is a factor in unloading and not a factor in loading, that we would have learned the a fortiori inference? The Gemara cites an additional proof: Know that the requirement to prevent suffering to animals is by Torah law, as it is taught in the latter clause of the mishna: Rabbi Yosei HaGelili says: If there was a burden upon the animal greater than its typical burden, one need not attend to it, as it is stated: “Under its burden” (Exodus 23:5). Rabbi Yosei holds that the obligation to unload an animal is with regard to a burden that the animal can bear; does this not indicate by inference that the first tanna holds that he must attend to it to unload a burden that is greater than its typical burden? What is the reason for this ruling; is it not due to the fact that the requirement to prevent suffering to animals is by Torah law?

תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״צֵיד״, מִכׇּל מָקוֹם. אִם כֵּן, מָה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״אֲשֶׁר יָצוּד״? לִמְּדָה תּוֹרָה דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ, שֶׁלֹּא יֹאכַל אָדָם בָּשָׂר אֶלָּא בַּהַזְמָנָה הַזֹּאת. תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: ״כִּי יַרְחִיב ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת גְּבֻלְךָ״ – לִמְּדָה תּוֹרָה דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ, שֶׁלֹּא יֹאכַל אָדָם בָּשָׂר אֶלָּא לְתֵאָבוֹן.

The verse states “a trapping” to indicate that in any case, one is obligated to cover the blood of an undomesticated animal. If so, what is the meaning when the verse states: “Who traps,” if it is not to be understood literally? The baraita explains: The Torah taught that it is a desired mode of behavior that a person should consume meat only with this mode of preparation. That is, just as the meat that one traps is not readily available, so too, one should not become accustomed to consuming meat. In a similar vein, the Sages taught in a baraita that the verse states: “When the Lord, your God, expands your boundary…according to every craving of your soul you may eat meat” (Deuteronomy 12:20). The Torah taught that it is a desired mode of behavior that a person should consume meat due only to appetite. That is, one should consume meat only when he feels a need to eat it.

אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן לֹא הוּתַּר לוֹ בָּשָׂר לַאֲכִילָה, דִּכְתִיב: ״לָכֶם יִהְיֶה לְאׇכְלָה וּלְכׇל חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ״, וְלֹא חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ לָכֶם. וּכְשֶׁבָּאוּ בְּנֵי נֹחַ, הִתִּיר לָהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״כְּיֶרֶק עֵשֶׂב נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת כֹּל״. יָכוֹל לֹא יְהֵא אֵבֶר מִן הַחַי נוֹהֵג בּוֹ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״אַךְ בָּשָׂר בְּנַפְשׁוֹ דָמוֹ לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ״. יָכוֹל אַף לִשְׁרָצִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״אַךְ״.

§ Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Meat was not permitted to Adam, the first man, for consumption, as it is written: “And God said: Behold, I have given you every herb that brings forth seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree that gives forth seed; for you it shall be for food, and for every animal of the earth, and for every fowl of the air, and for everything that creeps upon the earth, in which there is a living soul, every green herb for food. And it was so” (Genesis 1:29–30). It is derived God told Adam: Eating vegetation is permitted to people and animals, but eating the animals of the earth is not permitted to you. But when the children of Noah came, God permitted them to eat meat; as it is stated: “Every moving thing that lives shall be for food for you; as the green herb I have given you all” (Genesis 9:3). One might have thought that accordingly, even the prohibition against eating a limb from a living animal does not apply to the descendants of Noah; therefore the verse states: “Only flesh with its life, which is its blood, you shall not eat” (Genesis 9:4). One might have thought that the prohibition against eating a limb from a living animal applies even to creeping animals; therefore the verse states “only,” a term used for exclusion, indicating that creeping animals are not included.

וחלילה לו מזה כמו שאמר המשורר (תלים נ') לא אקח מביתך פר וגו' כי לי כל חיתו יער וגו'. ויבא עוד ביאורו. אמנם ישעיה הנביא דבר בזה הענין בפירוש ואמר ולא אותי קראת יעקב וגו'.

Whenever the matter of animal sacrifices is discussed, there are some difficult questions that cannot be ignored. 1) Is it not unavoidable that sacrifices will be viewed as attempts to bribe G'd to forego the anger caused Him by the sinner who offers the sacrifice? 2) Does it not seem that the donor tries to placate G'd just as he would attempt to placate a mere mortal ruler, thereby insulting G'd reducing His stature? 3) If, on the other hand, the offering is in the nature of a pennance, payment for trespass from which G'd receives no more benefit than from say the imposition of corporal punishment on the sinner, what good is it? 4) Is the purpose of the sacrifices perhaps merely to provide the priests with a livelihood, or simply the destruction of the animals that are being offered up?

הכל שוחטין לכתחלה אפילו נשים: ועבדים וכל אדם אפילו אין מכירין אותו שמוחזק לשחוט שלא יתעלף וגם אין יודעין בו שהוא מומחה ויודע הלכות שחיטה מותר ליתן לו לכתחלה לשחוט ומותר לאכול משחיטתו שרוב הרגילין לשחוט הם בחזקת מומחין ומוחזקין.

This is because the majority of those that regularly shecht are under the presumption of being tested experts (in shechita). Therefor we practice that a man shall not shecht without having obtained kabalah (ordination) from before a learned one.

ועוד יש להם התרוממות והתעלות מן האומות ע"י גמילות חסדים, כי ע"י ג"ח האדם מתרומם ומתעלה, ועל דבר זה יש ראיות ברורות דכתיב (משלי י"ד) צדקה תרומם גוי וגו' ועוד כתיב (ישעי' ל"ג) הולך צדקות דובר מישרים וגו' הוא מרומים ישכן מצדות סלעים משגבו. וכל הדברים האלו כי גמילות חסד מדת אברהם שנקרא אב רם שהיה מתעלה ומתרומם בשביל מדה זאת, ועוד כי בעל גמילות חסדים משפיע לאחר וכל משפיע לאחר הוא מתרומם.

אלה תולדות נח נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדורותיו. נ"ל דהנה האדם העוסק בעבודת הבורא יתברך ויתעלה בכל מעשיו, דהיינו אפילו בדברים הגשמיים כמו אכילה ושתיה, שאוכל ושותה בקדושה, עכ"פ בכוונה לדחות את הפסולת ולהעלות את הרוחניות שבו, אזי בכל פעם שעולה ובא בבחינה אחרת יתירה זה נקרא בשם 'דור', דהבחינה הראשונה שהיה מתנהג בה, כל ימי נהוגו בה היא כמו 'דור', ואחר שנופל מבחינה זאת ונופל לבחינה אחרת, הרי הוא כמו שבא בדור אחר.

These are the generations of Noach, Noach was a righteous person, complete in his time (Genesis 6:9) It appears to me that the person who deals with serving the Blessed and Exalted Creator in all their deeds, meaning, even in physical things such as eating and drinking, that that person eats and drinks in holiness in any instance trying to distance from the dross and to raise the spirituality in themselves, then in every time that they raise up and get to a different, more complete, level, this is called "generation".