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Jewsweek.com | Recently there has been increasing interest in vegetarianism, especially due to the widespread media coverage of foot and mouth disease and mad cow disease. What are Jewish teachings related to vegetarianism? Below are ten reasons why Jews might resist becoming vegetarians, followed by brief counter-arguments.

1. Jews must eat meat on Shabbos and Yom Tov.

Response: According to the Talmud (Tractate Pesachim 109a), since the destruction of the Temple, Jews are not required to eat meat in order to rejoice on sacred occasions. Scholarly articles by non-vegetarian rabbis Alfred Cohen and J. David Bleich in prominent Orthodox Jewish publications discuss various halachic opinions, and conclude that Jews do not have to eat meat in order to celebrate the Sabbath and Jewish festivals. Several chief rabbis, including Rabbi Shlomo Goren, the late Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Israel, and Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen, Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Haifa, have been or are strict vegetarians.

2. Inconsistent with Judaism, vegetarianism elevates animals to a level equal to or greater than that of people.

Response: Showing compassion for animals and choosing not to slaughter them for food does not mean that vegetarians regard animals as being equal to people. Moreover, there are many reasons for being vegetarian other than animal rights. Vegetarian diets also improve human health, help hungry people through better sharing of food and other resources, put less stress on endangered ecosystems, conserve valuable resources, and therefore reduce the potential for war and violence. In view of the many global threats related to today's animal-based agriculture, working to promote vegetarianism may be the most important action that one can take for global survival.

Because humans are capable of imagination, rationality, empathy, compassion, and moral choice, we should strive to end the often-cruel conditions under which farm animals are currently raised. This is an issue of basic moral sensitivity, not an assertion of egalitarianism with the animal kingdom.

3. By putting vegetarian values ahead of Jewish teachings, vegetarians are, in effect, creating a new religion, with values contrary to Jewish teachings.

Response: Jewish vegetarians do not place so-called vegetarian values above Torah principles. Rather, they are saying that Jewish values mandate that we treat animals with compassion, guard our health, share with hungry people, protect the environment, conserve resources, and seek peace. Hence, vegetarianism as the ideal diet for Jews today, especially in view of the many problems related to modern methods of raising animals on "factory farms." Jewish vegetarians are challenging our community to apply Torah values to our diets in a meaningful way. They are respectfully challenging their fellow Jews to live up to Judaism's splendid teachings.

4. The Torah mandates that we eat the Paschal lamb and other sacrificial offerings.

Response: The great Jewish philosopher Maimonides believed that God permitted sacrifices as a concession to the common mode of worship in Biblical times. It was felt that had Moses not instituted the sacrifices, his mission would have failed, and perhaps Judaism would have disappeared. Don Isaac Abarbanel, a 15^th century Jewish philosopher, reinforced Maimonides' position, citing a midrash indicating that the Israelites had become accustomed to sacrifices in Egypt; thus, God tolerated the sacrifices, but commanded that they be offered only in one central sanctuary in order to wean the Jews from idolatrous practices. The Radak, a 13^th century Biblical commentator, also subscribed to this view.

Without the Temple, sacrifices are not required today. Rabbi Abraham Yitzchak Kook felt that, based on the prophecy of Isaiah, there will be only sacrifices involving vegetarian foods during the Messianic Period. Even if sacrifices will be restored at that time, as many other sages believed, this should not prevent people today from adopting a diet that has so many personal and societal benefits.

5. People were given dominion over animals. God put them here for our use.

Response: Dominion does not mean that we have the right to conquer and needlessly exploit animals. God gave humankind dominion over animals (Genesis 1:26). However, dominion is generally interpreted as guardianship or stewardship -- being co-workers with God in taking care of and improving the world.

"Jews should consider switching to vegetarianism not because of the views of animal rights groups, whether they are hostile to Judaism or not. They should do so because this is the diet most consistent with Jewish values ..."

The Talmud interprets "dominion" as the privilege of using animals for labor. (Tractate Sanhedrin 59b). It is highly doubtful that this concept permits breeding animals and treating them as machines designed solely to meet our needs.

Rav Kook stated that dominion does not imply the rule of a haughty despot who tyrannically governs for his own selfish ends and with a stubborn heart. He rejected the idea that "such a morally repulsive form of servitude could be forever sealed in the world of God, whose 'tender mercies are over all His work' (Psalms 145:9)."

6. If Jews do not eat meat, they will be deprived of the opportunity to do many commandments.

Response: There are other cases where Torah laws regulate things that God would prefer that people not do at all. For example, God wishes people to live at peace, but he provides commandments related to war, knowing that human beings quarrel and seek victories over others. Similarly, the Torah laws that restrict taking beautiful female captives in wartime are a concession to human weakness. Indeed, the Sages go to great lengths to deter people from taking advantage of such dispensations.

As indicated before, by not eating meat, Jews are acting consistently with many commandments, such as showing compassion to animals, preserving health, not wasting, feeding the hungry, and preserving the earth. In addition, by abstaining from meat, a Jew reduces the chance of accidentally violating several prohibitions of the Torah, such as mixing meat and milk, eating non-kosher animals, and eating forbidden fats or blood.

7. Isn't it a sin not to take advantage of the pleasurable things that God has put on the earth? Since He put animals on the earth, and it is pleasurable to eat them, is it not a sin to refrain from eating meat?

Response: How can eating meat be pleasurable to a religious person when he or she knows that as a result health is endangered, grain is wasted, and animals are being cruelly treated? There are many other ways to gain pleasure without doing harm to living creatures. Vegetarians abstain from eating meat because it is injurious to health, because their soul rebels against eating a living creature, and/or because they wish to have a diet that minimizes threats to the environment, and that best shares resources with hungry people.

There are many other cases in Judaism where actions that people may consider pleasurable are forbidden or discouraged, such as the use of tobacco, drinking liquor to excess, sexual relations out of wedlock, and hunting. Also, many Jewish spiritual giants such as Rabbi Yosef Karo, author of the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law), limited their consumption of meat for ascetic reasons.

8. A movement by Jews toward vegetarianism would lead to less emphasis on kashruth (dietary laws) and eventually a disregard of these laws.

Response: Quite the contrary. In many ways, becoming a vegetarian makes it easier and less expensive to observe the laws of kashruth. This might attract many new adherents to keeping kosher, and eventually to other important Jewish values. As a vegetarian, one need not be concerned with mixing dairy products with (meat products), waiting 3 or 6 hours after eating meat before being allowed to eat dairy products, storing four complete sets of dishes (two for regular use and two for Passover use), extra silverware, pots, and pans, etc., and many other considerations incumbent upon the non-vegetarian who wishes to observe kashruth strictly. While it is easier for Jewish vegetarians to obey kashruth laws, they must still check vegetables for bugs and carefully check for hashgachot (rabbinic endorsements) on products they use.

9. I enjoy eating meat. Why should I give it up?

Response: If one is solely motivated by what will bring pleasure, perhaps no answer to this question would be acceptable. But Judaism wishes us to be motivated by far more: doing commanments, performing good deeds and acts of charity, sanctifying ourselves in the realm of the permissible, helping to feed the hungry, pursuing justice and peace, and so on. Anyone who takes such Jewish values seriously should consider vegetarianism.

Even if one is primarily motivated by considerations of pleasure and convenience, the negative health effects of animal-centered diets should be taken into account. One cannot enjoy life when one is not in good health.

10. Jews have historically had many problems with some animal rights groups that have opposed kosher slaughtering and advocated its abolishment.

Response: Jews should consider switching to vegetarianism not because of the views of animal rights groups, whether they are hostile to Judaism or not. They should do so because this is the diet most consistent with Jewish values. It is the Torah, not animal rights ideology, which indicates how far the widespread mistreatment of animals is from fundamental Jewish values. The powerful Jewish teachings on proper treatment of animals was eloquently summarized by Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch: "Here you are faced with God's teaching, which obliges you not only to refrain from inflicting unnecessary pain on any animal, but to help and, when you can, to lessen the pain whenever you see an animal suffering, even through no fault of yours."

It is essential that our community address the many moral issues related to our diet. Vegetarianism is an issue of importance for Torah and for the future of our endangered planet.

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