All God’s creatures
From Noah and Moses to present-day ritual slaughter, the humane treatment of animals is a core value for Jews. Rabbi Moshe D Gutnick explains.
From Noah and Moses to present-day ritual slaughter, the humane treatment of animals is a core value for Jews. Rabbi Moshe D Gutnick explains.
I am not sure what age I was, but I remember as a little child in school being taught by my melamed (religious teacher) the story of Noah and his ark.
But it wasn’t the story about how the world was to be punished or about the righteousness of Noah. Rather it was about a time that Noah slipped up!
Says the Midrash Tanchuma: “Rabbi Levi said: ‘The whole 12 months that Noah was in the ark, neither he nor his family tasted sleep because they were responsible for feeding the animals.’
“Rabbi Abba b. Kahana said: …. ‘Now some ate in the second hour of the night and some in the third hour of the day, hence you know that Noah did not taste a bit of sleep.’
“Rabbi Yochanan said: ‘One time, when Noah was late in feeding the lion, (he was punished and) the lion bit him, and he went away limping. As is well known the Torah also commands you must feed your animals before yourself.’”
Similarly, who has not heard how Moshe Rabbeinu earned the right to lead the Jewish people?
While Moshe was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, in the desert, a little lamb ran away. Moshe, concerned for his charge, went in search of it. After a while, he found the lamb drinking at a brook.
“My poor little lamb,” Moshe said, reaching out for it. “I didn’t know that you were thirsty. Forgive me, you must be weary.”
And with that, he picked up the lamb, placed it on his shoulder, and carried it back to the flock. Then a Heavenly voice was heard: “This is the man who is worthy of shepherding My people.”
As told in Nature and the Environment in Hasidic Sources, the Chassidic master, Rabbi Zusya of Anapole, who, saddened by the sight of caged birds, would purchase them from their owner in order to set them free.
He informed his disciples that he regarded this to be a form of “ransoming prisoners”, which constitutes a moral imperative.
From childhood on, every Jewish child is taught these stories, and many more, in order to inculcate the child with a love and respect for all of God’s creatures.
To be sure, Judaism teaches that only human life is sanctified and the animal kingdom is created to “serve” mankind – nevertheless they are all God’s creatures and must be treated accordingly.
Indeed, the Torah is full of specific laws to prevent cruelty to animals, and Maimonides writes in his Guide for the Perplexed that one of the reasons for shechita is that it is a humane way to kill animals.
It is therefore truly shocking when we read in the news and see scenes of gross animal cruelty in general, and especially at abattoirs associated with shechita.
It actually goes against the core of Torah values and is especially disappointing when it takes place in Israel. I am hopeful, though, that such occurrences in Israel are an aberration and that the authorities in Israel will appropriately investigate, and if necessary prosecute such abuses.
However, those abuses should not be confused with the act of shechita itself, which, when practised in a proper manner, constitutes one of the most humane methods to kill an animal. Indeed, animal welfare experts from around the world, such as Professor Temple Grandin (Colorado State University), agree that this is the case.
Nevertheless, while the shechita itself is our primary concern, we cannot ignore abuses of animal welfare that may take place before and after shechita.
We are blessed to be living in a country such as Australia, where the local authorities allow us to freely practise our religion and indeed protect our right to do so.
The various government bodies, such as the Department of Primary Industry and the NSW Food Authority, are exemplary in their interaction with the Kashrut Authority and other kashrut bodies in Australia.
Together we work to ensure that not only the shechita itself, but the entire process is in accordance with the highest standards of animal welfare.
When earlier this year an NSW abattoir was closed down for a short period due to animal-welfare violations, these violations all had nothing to do with shechita.
Nevertheless, together with the NSW Food Authority we made a thorough review of all our practices, and together with the abattoir introduced safeguards to ensure such breaches could never happen again.
Furthermore, our shochtim (ritual slaughterers) – and myself – underwent additional training so that we too could be part of a collaborative effort to ensure the highest standards of animal welfare .
Kashrut authorities in Australia are serious about caring for animals. We understand the Torah’s requirement that animals be treated appropriately, and that the God who gives us permission to shecht (perform ritual slaughter) equally commands us not to cause unnecessary harm or pain to animals.
We continue to work with government bodies and animal-welfare groups, in a spirit of collaborative harmony, to ensure the best possible outcomes.
Rabbi Moshe D Gutnick is the rabbinic administrator for the Kashrut Authority of Australia and New Zealand.
(Picture: Ingrid Shakenovksy)
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