d’var torah
Recognizing Animal Lives
Rabbi Beth Janus
M Parshat Emor
y son argued that we should
eat fewer animal products.

While being a vegan was
better for the world, people’s health
and the animals, he said it was unreal-
istic that more than a fraction of people
would make such a major change.

Instead, if large quantities of people
reduced their meat, dairy, fi sh and
egg consumption, even by a little, the
cumulative eff ect would be substantial.

For his bar mitzvah project, he and
his sister developed an app that tracks
what people eat and helps them lower
their animal consumption. My kids
have continually challenged me on the
downsides of eating animal products
and, in recent years, we have moved
dramatically closer to veganism. My
children understand that taking the
life of an animal or using the animal for
our own pleasure should not be taken
lightly. In parshat Emor, God also instructs
us about the signifi cance and sacred-
ness of an animal’s life. Our priests
are to be “scrupulous” about animal
sacrifi ces to avoid profaning God’s
Name. (Leviticus 22:2) Furthermore,
a person who sacrifi ces must be in a
“pure state.” (Leviticus 22:3-7)
God says that animals can be eaten
but wants us to eat them in a way that
is cognizant of the gravity of ending
a life. God seeks for us to honor the
animal’s neshama, or life force, by
restricting how we make and eat
the sacrifi ce. The Temple, where we
performed sacrifi ces, no longer stands.

Because of that, many of these laws
appear to be irrelevant. But as we
consider the eff ects of industrialized
meat production on the animals’ lives
and on climate change, Emor’s teach-
ings are deeply relevant and vital.

What does it mean to be “scrupu-
lous’” about the eating of animals
today? We would ensure that animals
live humanely by residing in spaces
where they have freedom to move, to
socialize and to eat.

Poultry farming, slaughterhouses
and dairy farms are typically designed
to maximize profi t without regard to
the well-being of the animal. These
places could be reimagined to center
the fact that the animals are sentient
beings whose existence is holy. We
the animal who was “sacrifi ced” for us
to be able to eat a particular meal? Are
we mindful of what the animal gave
up so that we could enjoy this dairy?
Are we fi lled with gratitude for this
sustenance? If we view eating animal products
with the sacredness that the Holy One
insists on, then it would follow that
our consumption would decrease. We
would be scrupulous about our eating
habits, and we would try as rigorously
as we could to be in a pure state as we
ate. Meat and dairy products would
rise in cost as conditions become more
considerate of the animals.

Recognizing each life would remind
us of the specialness of the sacrifi ce
the animals make for our benefi t, and
we would naturally make eating animal
products more rare.

Ideally, whenever we consume any food,
we should be conscious about what we
are doing.

must recognize that animals do not
exist exclusively as a source of enjoy-
ment for humans.

After our parshah examines how we
treat the animals, we are commanded
to examine ourselves. How can we put
ourselves in a “pure state”? Being in
the right frame of mind when consum-
ing animal products can elevate the
experience (and further honor the
animal). Ideally, whenever we consume any
food, we should be conscious about
what we are doing. Saying a bracha
(blessing) makes us pause and think
about what we are eating. This is the
opposite of just stuffi ng our mouths
mindlessly. We should be particularly aware
when we are eating meat or other
animal products. Are we conscious of
24 MAY 4, 2023 | JEWISH EXPONENT
For the sake of the planet, our health,
and the animals, may we integrate
these teachings from Emor into our
lives. ■
Rabbi Beth Janus is a chaplain at
Lafayette Redeemer and performs
life cycle rituals throughout the
Philadelphia community. The Board
of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia is
proud to provide diverse perspectives
on Torah commentary for the Jewish
Exponent. The opinions expressed in
this column are the author’s own and
do not necessarily refl ect the view of
the Board of Rabbis.