Expert: Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner - 7/18/2011

Question
Shalom!
What does judaismthinkof vegetarianism?

Answer
Dear Hank,

Thanks for writing.

Vegetarianism is a positive life discipline within Jewish current and historical practice. Notable Rabbis and thinkers have been vegetarians.

1. For some, the basis for observing a vegetarian life-style is seen in the Bible which suggests strongly that until Noah, humanity was vegetarian. Otherwise, there is no explicit command to refrain from eating meat, poultry or fish assuming that other protocols are observed for taking the life of an animal for food.

2. It is suggested by some commentators on the tradition that because the dietary ingredients most often quoted are vegetarian, e.g. the seven species of grains and the land of Israel products, and also a land of milk and (date) honey.

3. The flesh of birds was clearly permitted from the Torah, from the time of the Exodus in the desert - Exodus 16:13 and Numbers 11:31–33.

4. If and when meat was to be permitted to humanity, there were laws of "schechitah" - religious law(s) regulating the killing and treatment of animal flesh in order for it to be permitted for a Jewish diet. Non-Jews were only to refrain from meat cut from a living animal (based on Gen. 9:4).

5. Even when animal flesh is permitted, there is a requirement that the animals be spared pain in any form, and the laws of shechitah have "grown" over the years with an intent to spare animals pain, especially as we have come to understand the brains, sensitivities and perhaps "feelings" of animals at all levels of life.

6. There are thinkers who have written during the past several thousand years a philosophy of "stewardship" of the planet including all life-forms, vegetative and animal in addition to protecting the mineral world.

Conservationism is an important value-concept in the world of the Jew in relationship to God, to other Jews, to general human society reflecting our gratitude for the past generation's bequest to us and our obligation to provide for generations to come.

7. There are even Jewish philosophers who speculate that when messianic age is arrives that we will all be vegetarians, when all carnivores will live in peace with their traditional foods, e.g. the wolf will live in peace with the lamb.

In general, there have always been Jewish vegetarians as a respected minority, but the majority of Jewish thought has always permitted the eating of animal flesh.

Thanks again for writing

Rabbi Dov