Hello, as part of our study in the book Berit Shalom on the laws of murder, we are now in the fifth chapter. We are also discussing the question of whether it is permissible to kill. Not humans, of course, as it is forbidden to kill humans. But what about animals?
In our previous lesson, we saw from paragraph 23 that it is permissible to kill an animal that is causing harm. But what about animals that I want to kill without any benefit, for example, hunting? If a person wants to go hunting in distant places and kill animals, is this permitted or forbidden?
Although formally speaking, it is not forbidden, the great halachic authorities have already written that this is not the way of the people of Israel. It is not the way of the Jewish people because it is cruel, and it is clear that this is not fitting for all of humanity, either.
Therefore, bull races, like bullfighting, which are common in places like Spain, where bulls are tortured for no reason, clearly do not align with the ethics of Judaism or the universal morality of the children of Noah.
Hence, it is written here, in paragraph 24, that one should not draw animals for no purpose. We see this in the Torah in the book of Exodus, where the Torah emphasizes the suffering of an animal, such as a donkey carrying a heavy load that falls on the road. The Torah commands that we care for this fallen donkey because of the principle of preventing animal suffering.
