Tza'ar Ba'alei Chayim: Cruelty to Animals
|
Judaism places great stress on proper treatment of animals. Unnecessary cruelty to animals is
strictly forbidden, and in many cases, animals are accorded the same sensitivity as human
beings. This concern for the welfare of animals is unusual in Western civilization. Most civilized
nations did not accept this principle until quite recently; 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 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: Hitler loved animals; PETA wrote a letter to Arafat telling
him, when he wants to blow up a bus full of Israelis, could he please not hurt a donkey to do it.
However, dominion does not give us the right to cause indiscriminate pain and destruction. We are
permitted to use animals in this way only when there is a genuine, legitimate need, and we must
do so in the manner that causes the animal the least suffering. Kosher slaughtering is designed
to be as fast and painless as possible, and if anything occurs that might cause pain (such as a
nick in the slaughtering knife or a delay in the cutting), the flesh may not be consumed. Hunting for
sport is strictly prohibited, and hunting and trapping for legitimate needs is permissible only when
it is done in the least painful way possible.
We are permitted to violate Shabbat to a limited extent to rescue an animal in pain or at risk of
death. For example, we can move them if they are in pain, move objects that we would not
otherwise be permitted to touch to relieve their pain, we may give them medicine, and we may ask
non-Jews to do things that would violate Shabbat to help a suffering animal.
It is a violation of the general prohibition against tza'ar ba'alei chayim to have your pet physically
altered in any way without a genuine, legitimate need. For example, declawing cats and docking
the ears or tails of dogs are forbidden. Again, there is no law against owning an animal in this
condition, so you should look into adopting from a shelter if you want such an animal.
"Herod also got together a great quantity of wild beasts, and of lions in very great
abundance, and of such other beasts as were either of uncommon strength or of
such a sort as were rarely seen. These were trained either to fight one with
another, or men who were condemned to death were to fight with them. And truly
foreigners were greatly surprised and delighted at the vast expenses of the shows,
and at the great danger of the spectacles, but to the Jews it was a palpable
breaking up of those customs for which they had so great a veneration."
-Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews.
