What We Can Learn from Animals -- and Why It's Not Enough

Many people are deeply moved by the loyalty of a dog or the affection of a cat. Pet owners often marvel at the emotional bonds animals form with humans, and it’s common to hear phrases like:

“If only people were as loyal as dogs!”

But is this a fair comparison? Is animal behavior really something we should look up to as a moral example? And how does the Jewish view approach this idea?

Can We Learn Morality from Animals?

Interestingly, the Sages of the Talmud recognized that animals exhibit noble traits. In Tractate Eruvin we find this remarkable statement:

“Rabbi Yochanan said: Had the Torah not been given, we would have learned modesty from the cat, honesty from the ant, and faithfulness from the dove.”

In other words, even without the Torah, humans could look to the natural world for lessons in good behavior. That raises a question: If nature already teaches us values, why was the Torah necessary at all?

The Torah: A Moral Compass That Goes Beyond Nature

The answer is both sobering and profound. While animals can inspire us with their behavior, they also reflect the cruelty of the natural world. In nature, the strong dominate the weak. Predators survive by preying on the helpless. Some people have taken this idea and twisted it into a philosophy of life.

The most extreme example? Nazi Germany.

The Nazis based their “racial theory” on what they saw in nature: survival of the fittest. They believed that the strong should rule over the weak and that compassion had no place in the real world. Tragically, they applied this idea not only to politics but to human life itself, justifying horrific crimes against the disabled, the sick, and the Jewish people.

And yet, in that same society, Germany was also the first country to establish organizations for the protection of animals. They treated animals with care—while dehumanizing people. This is what happens when morality is based on animal behavior instead of divine values.

The Torah was given to prevent exactly this distortion. It teaches that every human being is created in the image of God, and that compassion, humility, and justice are not optional—they are sacred obligations.

Loyalty Without Free Will: Why Animal Behavior Isn’t Moral

It’s true that dogs are incredibly loyal, and many animals show care for their companions. But animals act based on instinct. Their behavior is programmed into them—they don’t make moral choices.

That’s why a dog’s loyalty doesn’t “earn points” in the eyes of the Torah. It’s not a choice—it’s their nature.

Humans, on the other hand, have free will. We can choose to be loyal—or not. We can act selfishly—or rise above our impulses. That’s where true morality begins.

The Torah asks more of us than it does of animals. Our mission in life is to grow in these areas—kindness, empathy, loyalty—not because they come naturally, but because they are right.

When Love for Animals Replaces Love for People

There’s another angle to consider. Sometimes people become so emotionally invested in their pets that they neglect the human beings around them. While caring for animals is certainly part of Jewish ethics, it must not come at the expense of compassion for other people.

Often, those who idealize animal behavior express little empathy toward their fellow human beings. The Torah teaches that our deepest emotional energy should be directed first toward people—family, friends, community—not just our pets.

The Jewish Perspective on Animals and Morality

Animals were created by God as part of a magnificent world designed to help us grow. They are here to serve as tools, reminders, and even inspirations—but not as moral role models.

The bottom line?

The Torah gives us something far greater than instinct—it gives us the ability to choose goodness, to overcome our nature, and to become truly human.