Animals and Food
Question
Reading Chapter 9 in the Book of Genesis, God says, “Do not eat meat that still has its’ lifeblood in it.” To me, God is saying don’t kill a live animal for meat. To those that follow Judaism, it was translated to mean it’s okay to eat meat, as long as it’s been drained of its blood.
That is a far off and barbaric interpretation. I don’t think God wanted man to take the life of a viable animal. Period. If it was dead, from battle with another creature, or of starvation, or any other reason, its lifeblood is out of this animal. Because it was already dead, it was okay to eat. My son says I’m wrong. Please clarify. I am a vegetarian.
Answers
The Torah permits eating animal meat. In fact, the slaughtering of animals was an integral part of the Temple Service, as animal sacrifices were offered up every single day. More than that, slaughtering animals is permitted, but in Jewish Law there are many detailed laws explaining how the slaughter must be done so that the animal dies almost immediately and not suffer needlessly. Which means that within the Code of Jewish Law is built in a whole system to ensure that the animals are treated humanely and that they should not suffer while being raised.
Having said that, Judaism has no problem with vegetarianism. Those who wish to live a “meat-less” life can do so easily while living an authentic and rich Jewish life.
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team