Why Isn't Judaism Vegetarian?
Exploring why Judaism permits the eating of meat, the use of animal products in holy items, and whether adhering to vegetarian ideals is preferable.
- דודו כהן
- פורסם י"א חשון התשע"ד
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Musician Adi Madans, a particularly devoted vegetarian, once told me he has one issue with Judaism: it's not a vegetarian religion. In fact, according to Judaism, eating meat and fish on Shabbat and holidays is encouraged. "How exactly can I observe that?", asked Madans.
Of course, eating meat is a choice, not an obligation, yet the question arises: why does Judaism permit eating animal meat? Even if meat is essential for some reason, why use animal skin and organs for the preparation of holy items, like Torah scrolls, shofars, and so on?
Rabbi Yitzhak Bazri notes that until the time of Noah, humans were vegetarians. Only after the flood did Noah receive permission to eat animal meat, through the command "The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth." "Without this permission, we wouldn't be able to eat meat," explains Rabbi Bazri.
Rabbi Badush elaborates: "In the Kabbalistic texts, it is written that there are several levels in creation: inanimate, plant, animal, human, and the fifth level, the Jew. Every force in nature desires to ascend to the level above it. Plants are consumed by animals, thus ascending to the level of the animal. The animal desires to rise to the level of the human; therefore, the Torah permits the consumption of kosher animal meat, allowing the animal to ascend and become part of the human. However, it is forbidden to eat certain animals, which, if you notice, are often more aggressive, brazen, or possess other negative traits. When their meat enters the body, it also affects the person."
How does this concept of ascension apply to shofars, scrolls, and so forth? The use here is external.
"If that item serves and benefits the person, it is an ascent to another level. And when it's about a mitzvah object, of course, its elevation is greater."
"It is an honor for the animals to be used in the writing of the holy Torah," adds Rabbi Bazri. "Accordingly, when we are in a low spiritual state, such as on Tisha B'Av or Yom Kippur, we are forbidden to wear leather shoes and to feel superior to them, as it were. After all, Yom Kippur is a day of forgiveness, and on Tisha B'Av, we mourn the destruction of the Temple and our unworthiness to see it rebuilt. Therefore, we should feel humble."Is it possible to be vegetarian according to Judaism?
"It is possible. There is indeed a mitzvah to rejoice with meat and wine on Shabbat, but one who does not rejoice in it should not eat."
Rabbi Eli Amr, like any good Jew, prefers to answer the central question with a question of his own: "I will return a question to the vegetarians," he says. "Today, we know that even plants have a system of emotions and almost a language. As soon as a branch or stem is cut, the plant reacts with emotional hysteria. If it is claimed that it is immoral to kill animals for food, how can one eat cucumbers and tomatoes? They have no mouth to express their feelings, but morality is universal even toward those who are silent and do not react.
"The Jewish view is that morality is not something each person determines for themselves. Hashem sets the standards of morality. There is a clear hierarchy - inanimate, plant, animal, and human. A person can eat meat, but they do not have the right to consume the blood of animals."
Isn't there something cruel about killing animals?
"Also here, Hashem has guided us - in the form and manner in which the soul of the animal is taken. We are allowed to eat them, but this does not undermine the value of avoiding animal suffering. Jewish slaughter is different from other methods of killing, such as electric stunning or shooting in the head. According to Halacha, the shochet must swiftly pass the knife over the animal's two main arteries, in the neck. At that moment, blood pressure in the head drops within less than two seconds, and it feels nothing. There are reflexes, but the nervous system ceases to operate. In other words, the animal does not experience suffering in its death. Ultimately, even the soul's departure is done in a particular manner in Jewish slaughter. It is done with wisdom, contemplation, and careful attention to all details."
