In Deuteronomy 15:11 the Torah says: וְנָתַתִּ֛י עֵ֥שֶׂב בְּשָׂדְךָ֖ לִבְהֶמְתֶּ֑ךָ וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ וְשָׂבָֽעְתָּ [I will also provide grass in the fields for your cattle—and thus you shall eat your fill.]
The Talmud further explains this verse: “Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: One is prohibited from eating before feeding his animals, as it is stated: ‘And I will give grass in your fields for your animals’ first, and only then: ‘And you shall eat and be satisfied.’’’
It is fitting that the parsha following Sukkot, a holiday that revolves around nature, is Parshat Noach, which relates the story of Noah, who was dubbed ‘ish ha’adama’ [a man of the earth]. Noach’s entire persona was connected to the earth and its creatures: He invented the plow to make the earth more fertile, planted the first vineyard, and provided exceptional attention to the animals in his care. In this way, Noah exemplified the connection we all should strive to feel with nature.
Further, it is fair to say that Noah planted the seeds for the development of moral values, as well. The laws governing general morality are called sheva mitzvot bnai Noach [the seven laws of the sons of Noah]. Avraham Avinu [Our Patriarch Abraham], the source of the Jewish nation, was also inspired to model his life after Noah. How did Noah have this influence?
The midrash teaches that when Avraham asked Noah’s son, Shem, “How did your family merit to survive the flood,” Shem responded, “through charity.” Avraham retorted, “but there were no poor people on the ark!” to which Shem replied, “during the flood, our family, led by Noah, constantly took care of the animals.” It was Noah’s care for animals that set Avraham on the path to becoming a model of chesed/kindness, both for the Jewish people and the world.
Last week, in Parashat Bereisheet, we learned about Noah’s antitheses: the serpent. In the Garden of Eden, the serpent persuades Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, thereby embedding evil into the fabric of the world. A serpent is a fitting antagonist in the story because reptiles are considered cold-blooded creatures. Unlike mammals, they generally don’t nurture their offspring, leaving their young to fend for themselves. That is why we refer to a person who is uncaring about others sneaky, or a snake.
All of us are vulnerable to this reptilian voice. Throughout our lives, the voice of the evil inclination rings in our heads, telling us that life is hopeless and meaningless, might makes right, and we must take advantage of every opportunity to survive, even at the expense of others.
The serpent was described as arom [cunning], a word that has the same root in Hebrew as arum [naked]. The serpent takes advantage of people particularly when they are exposed, vulnerable, or naked in some way. Remarkably, the previous verse in Beereisheet says that Adam and Eve were arumim [naked], indicating that Adam and Eve were about to become the victims of their vulnerabilities to a serpent who takes advantage of the weaknesses of others.
This was Shem’s message to Abraham. Noah deserved to be saved from the flood because he was doing the opposite of the serpent. He cared. Noach took care of the land, he took care of people by inventing the plow, and he rescued and cared for the vulnerable animals instead of taking advantage of them. And this is what set Abraham on the path of chesed (kindness).
Who awakened them to come and take shelter? Avraham, as it says: Who awakened one from the east. And not only the nations, but even righteousness itself was sleeping until Avraham awakened it. How did Avraham do this? He made an inn and opened doors in every direction in order to receive all those passing by. (Midrash Tehilim, 110)
The question of our care for and obligation to animals is a source of confusion for some. There is a well-known halacha [Jewish law] that dictates that one must feed their animals before feeding themselves. Some halachic opinions assert that this halacha applies to pets, but Rav Yaakov Emden, the Ya’avetz, disagreed. He explained that it only applies to farm animals because we owe them hakarat hatov/gratitude for their role in providing our sustenance. It should be obvious then, that the Halacha of respecting animals applies to animals we eat and who directly feed us. There are other halachot that highlight the importance of caring for animals and ensuring they do not spend their lives in anguish.
As a rabbi who has a serious involvement in Kashrut, it is difficult for me to ignore an issue that is so serious yet often escapes the public’s general awareness. I find it very disturbing that our kosher food industry, which is so scrupulous about so many kosher rules, is so callous about the halachic mandate for the humane treatment of animals, and allows kosher meat to come from the same cruel factory-farms as most non-kosher meat.
I admittedly used to pay little attention to the way animals were treated during the production of kosher meat and dairy. But, having become more aware of how factory farm animals are treated, I believe that we should all think about the way we treat the animals who contribute to our food supply.
We can make an impact on the way animals are treated by advocating for changes in the system that treats farm animals poorly, especially in the kosher system which should treat animals even more humanely. We can also help by supporting non-dairy and non-meat alternative products.
In Yom Kippur: A Final Call we wrote about the importance of caring, of not becoming cynical. In this week’s parsha, Noach teaches us that caring about our fellow creatures, especially the defenseless, weak, and vulnerable ones, is a fundamental principle in Judaism, and the source of inspiration for Avraham Avinu’s special midah [character trait] of chesed [kindness]. Like Noah, we too must make an effort to care for animals and to care for nature. It is through caring for the most vulnerable that we can learn to properly care for each other and the world. Shabbat Shalom.