The question is often posed in informal discussions and ethical forums: Is it forbidden to purchase products that were produced due to animal suffering, such as cosmetics tested on animal?

Animals have always been an important part of human existence; from the dawn of history until only a few generations ago, virtually every person from the poorest to the richest lived in the intimate company of domestic animals. So it is hardly surprising that the Torah devotes much attention to the place of animals in creation and to their relationship with mankind.

Following the creation of mankind, the first thing God does is to define his place in creation. First we learn that only man is created in God’s image, and is given “dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that creeps upon the earth” (Genesis 1:26).

Later, God sees that Adam needs companionship (Genesis 2:18). Adam seeks this companionship among the animals, but finds it only with Eve, a human companion. Again we see that animals are in some sense kindred spirits to man, but not equals.

As mankind’s holy mission is cemented with the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, the thical treatment of animals is discussed in a variety of contexts:

• The Torah declares: “Six days shall you do your tasks and on the seventh day rest, in order that your ox and donkey shall rest…” (Exodus 23:12)

• In Exodus 23:5, we find: “If you see [even] your enemy’s donkey struggling under a load, don’t refrain from helping him; surely help him [to unload].” According to the Talmud (Bava Metzia 31a), this is one source for the prohibition of animal suffering.

• Deuteronomy 12:21 describes the commandment to slaughter animals before eating them. Many commentators, including Sefer Hachinuch, explain that one purpose of this command is that kosher slaughter is a humane way of killing, causing only minimal suffering to the animal.

• Deuteronomy 22:6-7 is the commandment to send away the mother bird before taking the eggs for our own use. The commentators explain that seeing the eggs taken away causes distress to the mother, which is partially alleviated by sending her away.

• Deuteronomy 22:9 is the prohibition against plowing with two different kinds of animals. The Sefer Hachinuch suggests that plowing with animals of different species causes distress to one another.

• Deuteronomy 25:4 declares: “Don’t muzzle the ox as it threshes.” Again the Chinuch explains that it is stressful for an animal to be surrounded by food, yet unable to eat.

One thing we notice from these commandments is that they go far beyond merely avoiding active cruelty to animals. In most cases the commandment is to take positive action to alleviate distress.

Another thing we notice is that commandments are ultimately limited in scope. Only animals belonging to a Jew, who himself is commanded to keep the Sabbath, needs to be rest on Shabbat. Kosher slaughter is a requirement only when the animal is to be eaten, but not for example if it is needed for leather. While we many not plow with two species together, there is no requirement to refrain from putting an animal to hard labor.

I believe that these two aspects are related. Ethical obligations to animals are commensurate with the benefit they provide us, and our relationship with them. Animals that work for us all week long rest on Shabbat; animals that help with our loads should be helped when they are overburdened; animals which provide us with vital sustenance need to be slaughtered in a humane fashion.

Cruelty is of course forbidden towards any creature, but the higher levels of obligation are commensurate with the degree of connection with and benefit from the animal.

This answers what some people consider a paradox of the Jewish approach to animals: If Judaism acknowledges ethical duties toward animals, why does it allow us use them for our benefit? In fact, the duties to animals are a consequence of the benefit we derive from them. Ethical duties don’t arise in a vacuum; they generally stem from a combination of empathy and reciprocity. Reciprocity doesn’t have to mean tit for tat; animals won’t go on strike and refuse to help if some people treat them cruelly. In this context, reciprocity means that we acknowledge the benefit animals provide, and requite it with basic standards of humane treatment.

Resolving the Paradox

There is still a bit of a paradox, however. We are not allowed to cause suffering gratuitously to any animal, but if there is a valid human need then even if the animal will suffer the treatment is not considered cruelty. For this reason, it is permissible and proper to use animals in medical experiments that are expected to lead to treatments that will alleviate human suffering. But this very usefulness is also what cements our obligation to show concern for the animals.

While the prohibition on animal suffering would never forbid using animals for an important human need (even if the use involved animal suffering), it would forbid causing unnecessary suffering for that need. Nachmanides writes (Deut. 22:6), “[God’s] mercy on creatures with an animal soul does not extend to prevent us from using them for our needs.”

This standard seems to be stricter than the standard for bal tashchit, which forbids gratuitous harm to or destruction of anything valuable or useful to humans. Regarding bal tashchit only gratuitous harm is forbidden, but tzaar baalei chaim, the prohibition on animal suffering, would seem to forbid also disproportionate suffering. The Talmudic sage Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair states that hamstringing an animal would constitute forbidden suffering, but only killing it would constitute gratuitous harm. My interpretation is that hamstringing the animal does bring some benefit, but not enough to justify the suffering induced. (Talmud - Chullin 7b)

An additional reason mentioned by the Sages for human treatment of animals is that it cultivates humane conduct toward other people, while inhumane treatment of animals carries the danger of inculcating insensitivity toward others. (Research confirms a connection between people who torture animals as youngsters and those who are violent as adults, though there is no way to tell if there is a causal relationship.)

The Sefer Hachinuch (596) writes: “Among the motivations for this commandment is to accustom ourselves to delicate souls, choosing the straight path and adhering to it, and seeking mercy and kindness. Once we obtain this habit, then even toward animals, which were created to serve us, we will show concern.”

And Nachmanides writes: “The reason for refraining [from taking the eggs in the presence of the mother] is to teach us the quality of mercy, and not to act cruelty. For cruelty [toward animals then] spreads into the soul of man [and expresses itself toward people as well].”

1. There is one God and one power.

This idea is at the root of all others. Without this idea, the world is hard and cold and random. With it, there is hope and meaning and purpose. There is loving and giving and caring. It is the source of their recognition that there are moral choices to be made and their clarity on how to make them. This is the most essential foundation I can give them. It’s an idea that needs constant reinforcement in today’s society and one that needs to be reflected in our choices and attitudes.

2. We each have the opportunity to have a personal relationship with God.

Every night, when my children were small, we said the Shema (Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one) with them. This was always followed by a long list of the people that love them, culminating in “And most of all, God loves you.” This deep, ingrained sense of being loved by the Creator of the world should help take them through life’s challenges.

I am always moved by the stories I have heard of the power of the Shema, the deathbed recognitions and recitals. But perhaps my favorite story of all is the one of Rabbi Silver after the Second World War. There were so many Jewish children hidden in convents without any papers to prove their origins. Rabbi Silver would walk up and down in from of these lost souls reciting the Shema. Whenever he saw a glimmer of recognition in a child’s eyes, he would mark them as Jewish and bring them home.

3. We all need something more important than our own lives to live for.

If we don’t have something bigger than ourselves, we will end up as very selfish, self-centered human beings. And very unhappy ones. Being involved in something transcendent lifts us out of our petty concerns. Our history is replete with tales of men, women and children who sacrificed their lives rather than giving up Torah, or circumcision, rather than converting or betraying their fellow Jews. Our ancestors knew that life was not about them and their individual concerns but about the Jewish People.

We pray not to be tested in these ways but the world still demands of us that we stand up for the Jewish people and the land of Israel and I want my children to be engaged in the fight – in whatever way is reflective of their individual strengths and talents. We were on a sabbatical year in Israel when Iraq invaded Kuwait. We stayed throughout the Gulf War, not because we were heroes (we didn’t pick up guns or work abandoned fields) but because I wanted my family to feel they were part of a people and that we don’t abandon our brothers and sisters when times are tough.

Related Article: 9 Lessons My Baby Taught Me about God

4. It’s better to give than to receive.

The old cliché may be trite but it’s true. I hope my children will recognize that. I believe that the moments of giving they experience will deepen and internalize this recognition. Even if they may sometimes be resentful, I know in the end they will appreciate that they have grown and benefited from every act of giving and sharing (even with their annoying younger siblings!). I want them to learn that a day spent giving to others, a day spent working for the community at large, leads to a greater sense of joy than a day spent at the spa (although once in a while, the spa is good too!).

When we send our kids off to school in the morning, we always tell them to “Have a good day. Remember the Almighty loves you (point 2). Learn Torah (Point 3). Do chesed – acts of kindness - (point 4) and be happy.” Being happy is connected to giving. That is how they will experience true joy. I hope to furnish them with enough appropriate opportunities to give that they will come to appreciate this idea on their own and search for more.

5. Be a mensch.

The Mishna states “If there isn’t derech eretz – basic human decency and consideration – there isn’t Torah.” I want my children to be polite (which in today’s society is no small accomplishment) but I don’t want it to be just the veneer of being civilized, something that is external only and slips off when I’m not watching or chastising! I want them to have a deeply internalized sense of respect and courtesy for others. I think that’s a crucial aspect of what it means to be a mensch. And I think being a mensch is no small goal or achievement.

The rabbi who officiated at our wedding, Rabbi Moshe Aharon Stern, of blessed memory, used to advise parents looking for prospective matches for their children, “Just look for a mensch.” He knew a mensch wasn’t so easy to find and he knew it was all that really counted.

Inculcating Values

Okay, nice thoughts, deep thoughts, but how do we inculcate these ideas in our children? We tell them stories, we learn with them, we point out instances of the Almighty’s hand in our lives. We introduce them to mentors and expose them to role models. We choose schools that embody these values and place them in communities with peers whose parents share these goals.

But the two most important actions we can take cannot be passed on to anyone else. Whatever we tell our children, I feel compelled to quote yet another cliché, “our actions speak louder than words.” Our behavior, our attitudes, our goals will have the strongest impact of all on our family. If these are the values we want to pass on, we have to do our best to embody them, to really mean it and make the (sometimes difficult) choices that reflect this.

And finally, we have to sincerely pray that our children realize these goals. Since God shares these goals, He will certainly help us succeed if we really try.