Education Love for Animals in Jewish Tradition
mals runs through the Bible, formed organization called
Foundation. By ESTHER EISEN the
Midrash, the Talmud, CHAI — an acronym for the
(Copyright 1974, JTA, Inc.)
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There is a beautiful mid-
rash which tells how Moses
was chosen to lead the Jew-
ish people out of Egyptian
bondage. As the story goes,
Moses was tending the sheep
of his father-in-law Jethro in
the wilderness. A young kid
ran' away. Moses followed it
until it reached a ravine,
where it found water. When
Moses caught up with the
kid, he said, "I did not know
you ran away because you
were thirsty. You must be
tired now." He picked up the
kid and carried it back to
the flock.
Then God said to Moses,
"Because you have shown
compassion in leading back
one of a flock belonging to
a human being, you shall
lead My flock, Israel."
The attitude of kindness
and consideration for ani-
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rabbinic sources and Jewish
literature generally.
The' rabbis of talmudic
times summed it up by say-
ing that the prohibition on
causing unnecessary suffer-
ing to animals ("tzaar baalei
hayim") is derived from the
Torah and is therefore a
central tenet of Judaism.
Noah, who ran what was
essentially the first wildlife
reserve in history, did not
sleep for 12 months when he
was taking care of the ani-
mals in the Ark, said our
sages. He was up day and
night, giving each animal its
special food, feeding each at
the proper time, around the
clock.
The midrash about David
is similar to the one about
Moses. David was a devoted
shepherd, and made sure the
older sheep would not take
advantage of the younger
ones.
The Bible has numerous
laws pertaining to tzaar
baalei hayim. On the Sha-
bat not only people but "your
ox and your donkey rest."
The fields are left fallow in
the seventh (shmita) year
so "the poor of your people
. . . and the beast of the
field" may, eat from them.
If one's enemy's donkey is
groaning under his burden,
one must lighten it, even on
Shabat: the Talmud says
that the easing of an ani-
mal's suffering overrides the
observance of Shabat.
The Torah tells us that a
farmer may not muzzle an
ox while it is threshing the
grain, nor may he plow with
an ox and a donkey together.
Medieval Jewish philosophers
suggested that the reason for
this law was that the ox was
stronger and it would be
hard for the donkey to keep
up with hint if both were
harnessed to one plow.
There are many other
biblical sources for the Jew-
ish approach to tzaar baalei
hayim, and legends about
talmudic scholars and Hasi-
dic rabbis who had special
feeling towards animals
abound.
Some Jews have been par-
ticularly active on behalf of
animals. The Royal Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals (RSPCA), form-
ed in England in the 1830s,
had as one of its founders
and actitvists a .Jew, Louis
Gompertz. Today, among
those Jews most active in the
struggle to save animals is
Roger Caras, noted for his
work on behalf of the near-
extinct American timber-
wolf; and Lew Regenstein,
the executive vice president
of the Fund for Animals, the
organization headed by
Cleveland Amory.
There is also a recently-
o tweler
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Jewish Committee to Help
Animals. The Yiddish writer
Isaac Bashevis Singer is one
of CHAI's founding sponsors,
as are other leading Jewish
intellectuals, writers and
rabbis.
On Passover it is fitting to
recall the story of the Hasi-
dic Rabbi Zusia. The rabbi
used to walk from village to
village, collecting money to
free prisoners. One night he
stayed at an inn where there
hung cages with beautiful
birds. The birds were beat-
ing their wings against the
bars, struggling painfully
but in vain to get out. Rabbi
Zusia went over to the cages,
opened them, and the liber-
ated birds all flew away.
1,000 Americans
Drawn to Israel
for Summer Study
NEW YORK (JTA)—More
than 1,000 Americans rang-
ing in age from 13 to 60
either have already arrived
in Israel or will arrive with-
in the next few cloys, par-
ticipating in some two dozen
programs sponsored and con-
ducted by the department of
education and culture of the
World Zionist Organization.
The youngest travelers are
the 75 13 and 14-year-old
in the Bar Mitzva Pilgrim-
age, who will spend 45 days
in Israel in a combined study-
ing, touring and camping
program, highlighted' by a
special ceremony in the Old
City of Jerusalem in the
Western Wall area.
There are 13 high school
groups from cities with local
bureaus of Jewish education.
On the universilty level,
there are six programs of
study for credit, focusing on
"the Land and Culture of
Israel." The Midrasha Col-
lege of Jewish Studies of
Detroit is represented among
the group who will study at
universities in Jerusalem,
Haifa and Tel Aviv.
There are five adult edu-
cation programs, ranging
from intensive study of He-
brew at the Ulpan Akiva to
the ambitious Bible Seminar
conducted by one of Israel's
leading Bible scholars, Itzhak
Itzhaki. A group of public
school teachers, organized by
the National Hebrew Cuture
Council and the WZO educa-
tion department will spend
five weeks in study at the
Hebrew University.
A unique six-week work-
study tour will focus on
Neot Kedumin, "the Gardens
of Israel," where in addition
to exploration and study of
Israel they will do land ret-
toration and conservation
work.
The Young Sephardic
Leadership Seminar, open
only to those who have been
active in Sephardic communi-
ties in the United States,
will involve some 44 young
men and women age 17-25.
They will explore the cultural
needs and opportunities and
the social problems of those
who come from Sephardic
and Oriental backgrounds.
If you've plans for tomor-
row, cut your speed on the
traffic packed highways of
today.
Friday, July 5, '1974-29
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Organ in Synagogue; Perfecting Mezuza
By RABBI SAMUEL J. FOX Since the obligation involves
(Copyright 1973, JTA, Inc.)
writing, the writing is of ut-
Orthodox Jewish practice most concern. Any mistake
forbids the use of an organ would make the "writing" in-
complete and, thus, the obli-
in the synagogue .
A variety of reasons are gation of having the mezuza
given for this prohibition. on the doorpost would not be
Some contend that playing a fulfilled. The mezuza, thus,
musical instrument was pro- resembles the covenant be-
hibited in a synagogue, es-' tween the Almighty and the
pecially during services, be- Jew which must be clearly
cause ever since the destruc- understood and manifested
tion of the Temple a spirit of so that there be no error
mourning prevails in accord- or misunderstanding between
ance with the statement in man and God.
the Psalms (137:4) "How
It's necessity that creates
shall we sing the song of the
Lord in a strange land." the will to change — first
Others claim that the organ comes the vision, then the
itself is considered an imita- plan.
tion of the practice of an-
other faith and that Judaism
should project its own image.
FACIAL HAIR
There are others who claim
that the service to God must PERMANENTLY
be one that is directly issued
REMOVED
from man without being
Eyebrows—Neckline—Arms—Legs
channeled through some im-
Recommended by Physicians
personal mechanical device
FREE CONSULTATION
such as an organ.
SHIRLEY
PERSIN
Jewish tradition insists on
Registered Electrologist
the mezuza parchment being
ADVANCE BUILDING
letter perfect in its hand-
23077 GREENFIELD - -711toom 260
Nr. Northlond
- Providence Hospital
written content.
PHONE 557-1108
The actual commandment
Is Yews Downtown
in the Bible, from which the
law requiring a mezuza on
the doorpost is derived, ex-
pressly states that the ob-
ligation is to "write" the holy
words on the doorpost. This
indicates that every Jew is
required to be involved in
for your party
writing the text. This is ac-
complished by buying one
which means paying for the
By
writing of the parchment to
be affixed to the doorpost.
'
.
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