The right to eat animals

Hi,

"Moving, living spirits have a soul of some degree, in which regard they resemble thinking spirits. They can make choices to help themselves and to feed themselves, and they flee from pain and death… When they sinned, and all flesh warped its path on earth, it was decreed that the animals should die in the flood. For Noach's sake some of them were saved to maintain their species, and so Gd gave humanity permission to slaughter and eat animals; the animals were only maintained for Noach's sake."

(Ramban, Commentary to Bereishit 1:29)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Protect the animals!

Hi,

"There are probably no creatures that require more the protective Divine word against the presumption of man than the animals, which, like man, have sensations and instincts, but whose body and powers are nevertheless subservient to man."

(Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, Horeb 415)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Tischadesh! Or not?

Hi,

"The custom is to say, 'May you wear it out and get something new,' to a person who is wearing new clothes.

"Some have written not to do this for new shoes, or for clothes made of animal hide; he would have to kill another animal before he could have a new garment, and it is written, 'His mercy is on all of His creations.' This reason appears quite weak and illogical, but many people are careful not to say this statement for such items."

המנהג לומר למי שלובש בגד חדש: תבלה ותתחדש. ויש מי שכתב שאין לומר כן על מנעלים או בגדים הנעשים מעורות של בהמה דאם כן היו צריכים להמית בהמה אחרת תחלה שיחדש ממנה בגד אחר, וכתיב: ורחמיו על כל מעשיו (תהילים קמה, ט) (מהרי"ו בפסקיו) והנה הטעם חלוש מאד ואינו נראה, מ"מ רבים מקפידים על זה שלא לאמרו.

(Rama, Orach Chaim 223:6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Punishment for embarrassing an animal

Hi,

"Lest one say that Gd only punishes for the shame of the righteous and not that of the wicked, we have found that He punishes for the shame of the wicked; there was no hater of Gd and hater of Israel like Edom, and yet Gd punished for his shame, as it is written, 'For the three sins of Moav... For burning the bones of the king of Edom into lime.'

"And He punished Moav measure for measure: They burned with fire and so it said, ‘I will send fire against Moav.’ They burned the king, and so it said, ‘I will cut off the judges from her midst and kill all of her officers.’ We find that He punishes even the shame of the wicked.

"Not only that - He even punishes for the shame of an animal, as it is written, 'Why did you hit your donkey?' Gd did not come to punish Bilam for taking an opposing path, but for striking his donkey."

(Rabbi Yaakov Skili, Torat haMinchah to Parshat Ki Tetze)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Reluctance to kill animals to use their hide for clothing

Hi,

"The custom is to say, “May you wear it out and get something new,” to a person who is wearing new clothes.

"Some have written not to do this for new shoes, or for clothes made of animal hide; he would have to kill another animal before he could have a new garment, and it is written, 'His mercy is on all of His creations.' This reason appears quite weak and illogical, but many people are careful not to say this statement for such items."

(Rama in Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 223:6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai