{"id":53584,"date":"2020-02-14T06:14:45","date_gmt":"2020-02-14T12:14:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=53584"},"modified":"2020-02-14T06:14:45","modified_gmt":"2020-02-14T12:14:45","slug":"off-the-pulpit-true-mastery-means-true-mercy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/off-the-pulpit-true-mastery-means-true-mercy\/","title":{"rendered":"Off the Pulpit: True Mastery Means True Mercy"},"content":{"rendered":"

By RABBI DAVID WOLPE<\/p>\n

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Tza’ar ba’alei chayim<\/em>, not causing pain to any living thing, is even reflected in the Ten Commandments. We give animals a day of rest on the Sabbath as well. As the Psalm (36) states: \u201cMan and beast You save O God. How precious is Your steadfast love.\u201d Proverbs relates a test for the righteous: \u201cA righteous person has regard for the life of his beast (12:10).\u201d<\/p>\n

This tradition persisted through Talmudic times and beyond. The standard code of Jewish law, the Shulchan Aruch tells us that it is forbidden according to the Torah to \u201cinflict pain on any living creature.\u201d<\/p>\n

In one sense all of Judaism rests on this principle. When Rebekah compassionately draws water for all 10 camels of the servant of the patriarch Abraham, she is chosen as the wife of Abraham\u2019s son Isaac. It is unJewish to blithely ignore the cruelties inflicted on animals in public exhibits or on our dinner plates. Our mission is not to pillage God\u2019s creation, but to be its stewards and shepherds. True mastery means true mercy.<\/p>\n

(Rabbi David Wolpe is the senior rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles.)<\/em><\/p>\n

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