Should Jews Be Vegetarians, or Even Vegans?

'The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and no one shall hurt nor destroy in all of God’s holy mountain'.

RICHARD H. SCHWARTZ: ‘Numerous scientific studies have linked animal-based diets directly to heart disease, strokes, many forms of cancer, and other life-threatening diseases… Judaism mandates that people should be very careful about preserving their health and their lives… A shift to vegetarianism, and even more so veganism, is especially important today since animal-based diets are contributing to an epidemic of diseases and animal-based agriculture is a major contributor to climate change and other environmental threats to humanity…

The above case is strengthened by the fact that God’s first dietary regimen was strictly vegan: “And God said: ‘Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree that has seed-yielding fruit — to you it shall be for food.’” (Genesis 1:29) This is consistent with modern scientific findings that humans are closer to non-carnivorous animals than to carnivorous ones in terms of our hands, teeth, intestional system, stomach acids, and other features.

In addition, according to Rabbi Abraham Isaac Hacohen Kook, first chief rabbi of pre-state Israel, and other Jewish scholars, the Messianic period will again be vegan, based on Isaiah’s prophecy (11:6 – 9): “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, . . . , the lion shall eat straw like the ox, . . ., and no one shall hurt nor destroy in all of [God’s] holy mountain”.’ SOURCE…

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