| Animal Welfare in the Bible |
| Universal Life Church |
In the Bible, those who care for animals are heroes.
Jacob, Moses and King David were all shepherds, people who cared for animals (Gen. 30, Ex. 31, I
Sam. 17). The Talmud specifically states that Moses was chosen for his mission because of his
skill in caring for animals. "The Holy One, Blessed Be He, said 'Since you are merciful to the
flock of a human being, you shall be the shepherd of My flock, Israel.'" Likewise Rebecca was
chosen as a wife for Isaac because of her kindness to animals. When Abraham's servant asked
for water for himself, she volunteered to water his camels as well, and thereby proved herself a
worthy wife (Gen. 24).
The Talmud tells the story of a great rabbi, Judah Ha-Nasi, who was punished with years of pain
because he was insensitive to the fear of a calf being led to slaughter.
In the Torah, humanity is given dominion over animals (Gen. 1:26), which gives us the right to use
animals for legitimate needs. Animal flesh can be consumed for food; animal skins can be used for
clothing. The Torah itself must be written on parchment (animal hides), as must mezuzah scrolls,
and tefillin must be made out of leather.
Under Jewish law, animals have some of the same rights as humans do. Animals rest on Shabbat,
as humans do (Ex. 20:10). We are forbidden to muzzle an ox while it is working in the field (Deut.
25:4), just as we must allow human workers to eat from the produce they are harvesting (Deut.
23:25-26). They can partake of the produce from fields lying fallow during the sabbatical year
(Ex. 23:11).
Several commandments demonstrate concern for the physical or psychological suffering of
animals. We may not plow a field using animals of different species (Deut. 22:10), because this
would be a hardship to the animals. We are required to relieve an animal of its burden, even if we
do not like its owner, do not know its owner, or even if it is ownerless (Ex. 23:5; Deut. 22:4). We
are not permitted to kill an animal in the same day as its young (Lev. 22:28), and are specifically
commanded to send away a mother bird when taking the eggs (Deut 22:6-7), because of the
psychological distress this would cause the animal. In fact, the Torah specifically says that a
person who sends away the mother bird will be rewarded with long life, precisely the same
reward that is given for honoring mother and father (Ex. 20:12; Deut. 5:16), and indeed for
observing the whole Torah (Deut. 4:40). This should give some indication of the importance of this
law.
In the Talmud, the rabbis further dictated that a person may not purchase an animal unless he
has made provisions to feed it, and a person must feed his animals before he feeds himself
(interpreting Deut. 11:15).
Jacob, Moses and King David were all shepherds, people who cared for animals (Gen. 30, Ex. 31, I
Sam. 17). The Talmud specifically states that Moses was chosen for his mission because of his
skill in caring for animals. "The Holy One, Blessed Be He, said 'Since you are merciful to the
flock of a human being, you shall be the shepherd of My flock, Israel.'" Likewise Rebecca was
chosen as a wife for Isaac because of her kindness to animals. When Abraham's servant asked
for water for himself, she volunteered to water his camels as well, and thereby proved herself a
worthy wife (Gen. 24).
The Talmud tells the story of a great rabbi, Judah Ha-Nasi, who was punished with years of pain
because he was insensitive to the fear of a calf being led to slaughter.
In the Torah, humanity is given dominion over animals (Gen. 1:26), which gives us the right to use
animals for legitimate needs. Animal flesh can be consumed for food; animal skins can be used for
clothing. The Torah itself must be written on parchment (animal hides), as must mezuzah scrolls,
and tefillin must be made out of leather.
Under Jewish law, animals have some of the same rights as humans do. Animals rest on Shabbat,
as humans do (Ex. 20:10). We are forbidden to muzzle an ox while it is working in the field (Deut.
25:4), just as we must allow human workers to eat from the produce they are harvesting (Deut.
23:25-26). They can partake of the produce from fields lying fallow during the sabbatical year
(Ex. 23:11).
Several commandments demonstrate concern for the physical or psychological suffering of
animals. We may not plow a field using animals of different species (Deut. 22:10), because this
would be a hardship to the animals. We are required to relieve an animal of its burden, even if we
do not like its owner, do not know its owner, or even if it is ownerless (Ex. 23:5; Deut. 22:4). We
are not permitted to kill an animal in the same day as its young (Lev. 22:28), and are specifically
commanded to send away a mother bird when taking the eggs (Deut 22:6-7), because of the
psychological distress this would cause the animal. In fact, the Torah specifically says that a
person who sends away the mother bird will be rewarded with long life, precisely the same
reward that is given for honoring mother and father (Ex. 20:12; Deut. 5:16), and indeed for
observing the whole Torah (Deut. 4:40). This should give some indication of the importance of this
law.
In the Talmud, the rabbis further dictated that a person may not purchase an animal unless he
has made provisions to feed it, and a person must feed his animals before he feeds himself
(interpreting Deut. 11:15).
| A righteous man knows the soul of his animal - Proverbs 12:10 |
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