Judaism, as a way of life, seeks to inculcate in us a consciousness of the Divine presence in the world and respect for life accordingly. The more we care for life, the closer we are in fact to God.
MSN NEWS: ‘A growing number of rabbis, scholars and Jewish leaders are promoting the message that veganism is the new kashrut. Israel is arguably the most vegan nation, with more vegans per capita than any other country. Paradoxically, Israel also has the highest per-capita consumption of chickens. These statistics indicate a disconnect that is at the heart of a growing movement, both in Israel and throughout the Jewish world, of whether it is still halachically viable to support the meat and dairy industries. Many leading rabbis and scholars are saying that it unequivocally is not…
Rabbi David Rosen, president of the International Jewish Vegetarian Ecological Society, says. “Animal products in global industrialized food production are all in contravention of Jewish teaching. There are a few areas where you have farmyard conditions where people behave compassionately, but the industry as a whole, whether it’s the meat, dairy or egg industries, all involve violations of Jewish ethics, in regard to tza’ar ba’alei hayim [the suffering of living creatures]”…
The commandment that bans causing animals unnecessary suffering is one of the central tenets of Jewish veganism… When asked what his opinion is on Israel’s propensity for veganism and how that fits into the overall equation, Rosen emphasizes that coming from a tradition that is very food-conscious helps, but that the sectors of Israeli society that are leading this important ethical revolution are not primarily the observant ones, but rather the more secular…
In the book Rabbis and Vegetarianism: An Evolving Tradition, edited by Roberta Kalechofsky, Rosen says, “Judaism, as a way of life, seeks to inculcate in us a consciousness of the Divine presence in the world and respect for life accordingly. The more we care for life, the closer we are in fact to God. Accordingly, an ethical vegetarian way of life expresses the most sublime and noble values and aspirations of Judaism itself, bringing us to an ideal vision for society as a whole”.’ SOURCE…
RELATED VIDEO: