Judaism views the proper treatment of nonhuman animals as a priority. Unnecessary cruelty to nonhuman animals is strictly forbidden, and in many cases, nonhuman animals are accorded the same sensitivity as human beings. This concern is unusual throughout the world. Most civilized nations did not accept this principle until quite recently (and certainly not in the Moslem world); cruelty to animals was not outlawed until the 1800s, and even now it is not taken very seriously.
The primary principle behind the treatment of animals in Jewish law is preventing tza'ar ba'alei chayim, the suffering of living creatures. Judaism expresses no definitive opinion as to whether animals actually experience physical or psychological pain in the same way that humans do; however, Judaism has always recognized the critical link between the way a person treats animals and the way a person treats human beings.
A person who is cruel to a defenseless animal will undoubtedly be cruel to defenseless people. Modern psychology confirms this understanding, with many studies finding a relationship between childhood animal cruelty and adult criminal violence.
Sadly, the converse is not always true, and those who love animals do not always value human life: Hitler loved animals; the animal rights group PETA wrote a letter to Arafat telling him, when he blows up a bus full of Israelis, could he please not hurt a donkey to do it. Click here for more.
If Judaism puts an emphasis on preventing cruelty to non-human animals, why is it then that animals have their throats slit to slowly die in order to be Kosher? Why is it that non Kosher kills shoot the animal in the head to render it unconscious before killing? Ayn Rand always said "there is no such thing as a contradiction. If you think a contradiction exists, check your premises."
Posted by: Franklin Nastasi | March 26, 2010 at 06:03 AM