C2: Animal Rights

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Experiments

Every year millions of cats, dogs, primates, rabbits and rodents (63 million in the U.S. alone) are subjected to untold numbers of experiments - for medical, psychological, and cosmetic testing - all in the name of science and progress. According to Jewish Law, animals may only be used in these circumstances for medical purposes. There is little dispute that when a direct cause-and-effect relationship can be established between animal experimentation and medical benefit for human beings, the experiments are permitted, provided all steps have been taken to eliminate unnecessary and avoidable pain.

The problem arises with "general" research. Are animals to be tortured and killed in the hope that ultimately knowledge leading to a medical cure may be discovered? Jewish Law has not drawn clear lines in this grey area. There is also research that clearly has no medical value but is supposed to increase our knowledge of the universe. Are animals to be experimented on for our "enlightenment"?

For example, stress tests, which involve subjecting the animal to extreme temperatures, pressure, shock, gas, and addictions, are extremely questionable, especially when the experiment has already been done hundreds of times before. Are experiments performed on animals to test cosmetics really a human need? Some scientists are questioning the benefit of medical and psychological experiments, given that many results are not applicable to humans. Moreover with time, alternatives - computer and mathematical models, tissue and organ cultures - are becoming increasingly available. Shouldn't these be used instead of animals?

What about using live animals in school biology classes? Can't teaching biology by using films and plastic models be just as effective? By using live animals aren't we teaching that animal life is cheap and easily replaceable?

The answers to these questions are not always simple, but too often many things are done without carefully weighing up the value of experiments against the cruelty inflicted upon the animals.

Protection of Animals

Judaism attaches particular stress to respecting the needs and feelings of animals. Shabbat is described as a day when the ox and the mule may also have rest, the same as Man (Exodus 20:10; Deuteronomy 5:14). The Torah prohibits muzzling an ox when it is treading out grain (Deuteronomy 25:4)

Killing an animal when it is not for legitimate human need is strictly forbidden; torturing an animal is regarded as a criminal act. Taking pity on a suffering creature is a duty that the greatest leaders and scholars performed; in fact it was often regarded as a sign of their greatness. Two examples out of many:

Once when Moses was a shepherd for his father-in-law, Jethro, he tracked a runaway lamb to a pool of water. Seeing that the lamb was exhausted, he placed it on his shoulders and carried it all the way back to the rest of the flock. God, seeing this, declared: You who have compassion for a lamb will now be the shepherd of my people Israel (Exodus Rabbah)

Another story is told in the Talmud about Rabbi Judah the Prince. A calf being led to slaughter thrust its head in Rabbi Judah's sleeve and wept as if begging for refuge. Rabbi Judah said to the calf: Go! You were destined for this! Because Rabbi Judah lacked compassion, he was punished with a painful illness. One day his servant was about to sweep out a litter of kittens from their corner. Rabbi Judah told the servant to leave them alone, saying: It is written that God has compassion for all His creatures. As he said this his illness ended. (Talmud Bava Metzia 85a)

In view of the feelings of animals, the Torah says: You must not slaughter it on the same day as its young (Leviticus 22:28). Maimonides explains this as follows:

The pain of the animal under such circumstances is very great. There is no difference between human suffering and the pain felt by other living beings in a case like this. (Guide for the Perplexed 3:48)

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