Expert: Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner - 3/1/2007

Question
Sir,
I am neither Jewish nor kosher,but, I have recently become concerned about the treatment of the food animals I have been eating.
i am no longer comfortable eating meat that may have been neglected or abused while alive.
I have neither the taste of temperment to be Vegan and so I am seeking advice on finding meats from animals that have not been 'industrialized'(animals that live in a comfortable ,natural environment before slaughter.)
I have begun looking into kosher meats,but there doesn't seem to be any Jewish laws on the treatment of kosher animals while alive.
So,my question is...Are there Jewish Laws that dictate the treatment of food animals while alive??

Answer
Dear Michael,

Thanks for writing. I've taken this time to be certain of my facts in responding to your most sensitive note.

Jews from the time of the Ten Commandments were required to rest and feed our animals a  before we ourselves observe the Sabbath. From the earliest time of our laws we have considered it a "mitzvah" or divine commandment to care for our animals.

Albeit still a minority position, modern Conservative Judaism has confronted the current pattern of force-feeding of geese for foi-gras  and the enforced lack of activity for veal.

Previously, the Law Committee ruled that "hoisting and shackling" was unacceptable for the slaughtering of animals because it was considered unnecessarily painful.

Most importantly today, the Conservative Movement has taken the position that not only should the slaughtering procedure take into consideration the pain and suffering of the animal but also the ethical treatment of those human beings who work in the slaughter-houses. This came about as the result of expose' printed in the Jewish newspaper, The Forward.

I should also point out that certain animals are themselves by nature not kind and gentle, e.g. chickens. They eat anything and everything; they attack each other and they even are cannibalistic. They are difficult to raise and similarly turkeys. However, we do try to raise them with as much consideration as possible.

Judaism has always had another tradition of vegetarianism as a standard of "dietary laws," or "kashrut." even today.There are not a large number of Jewish kosher vegetarians out of sensitivity to the taking of animal life, and even fewer vegans. To be honest it is also hard to distinguish those who are vegetarian because of "kosher" and those who are vegetarian and Jewish by coincidence.

So, there are laws and expectations about the treatment of animals while they are livng, through their slaughter and until they reach our table.

Best wishes

Rabbi Dov