An Interview with Rabbi Simchah Roth
Animals: Tradition - Philosophy - Religion Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Janine Bronson, JVS Jewish Vegetarian Society UK
June 2011

My essay was not an attempt to teach or prove that the whole of Jewish tradition has been or has mandated veganism. That would be patently against the facts of history. What I was trying to do was to show a religiously motivated Jew that there is ample substance to the claim that, at this time, it is acceptable, nay, REQUIRED, for such a Jew to adopt a vegan lifestyle.

When “the end of days” comes, all mankind will be vegan once again. Every Jew who adopts veganism is taking one more small step towards hastening the coming of the Messianic ideal.  

JLB: Rabbi Simchah Roth, I understand that you have written a very long essay that took a long time to put together, and it is published both in Hebrew, and in English. Considering how important, and troublesome, the issues that you address in this article are, would you kindly share the purpose for which you wrote this magnificent piece, and what the next step might be from here on, in furtherance of strengthening the notion that veganism and Judaism are connected, spiritually?

RSR: First of all, my essay was not an attempt to teach or prove that the whole of Jewish tradition has been or has mandated veganism. That would be patently against the facts of history. What I was trying to do was to show a religiously motivated Jew that there is ample substance to the claim that, at this time, it is acceptable, nay, REQUIRED, for such a Jew to adopt a vegan lifestyle.

JLB: What is the difference between a human animal (man) and a non-human animal, from the point of view of how we relate to G-d, since we all have souls…

RSR: Man is an animal with a big problem: his problem is tied to his having free will. Non-human animals do have a link to connect with G-d’s blueprint in our world, for the choices animals make also play a role in how close they get to Hashem, and all creatures sing praises to G-d, as in Song of the Universe, or Perek Shirah, you know…

JLB: When and where in the Torah do we learn about man’s freedom of choice to take one path over another, and where do we find out about G-d’s laws, that we are instructed to obey?

RSR: Now, Judaism teaches that G_d created man right from the start, with the ability to choose the path of obedience to God’s law, or the path of disobedience, having been warned that God is not indifferent to man’s behaviour, deriving from his free choice. This is stated very clearly right at the beginning of the Torah. After Abel’s offering has been accepted God admonishes Cain: And God said to Cain, “Why are you distressed, and why is your face fallen? Surely, if you do right, you will be accepted. But if you do not do right sin couches at the door; its urge is toward you, yet you can be its master.” [Genesis 4:6-7]

JLB: Then when was there a significant change, at what point would you say disobedience was forthright, in the book of Genesis?

RSR: Yes. It seems to me that the rot set in, as it were, right at the very beginning: yes, Abel shed blood; and it led to Cain shedding blood, in an even worse degree than Abel. And so on, down through the centuries…

JLB: What happened since then? Have we learned our lesson, yet?

RSR: Regarding righteousness and right living, our past shows that we have never yet conquered the urge to sin. But I do believe – as I wrote in my essay – that for every two steps backwards that man takes he does also take three steps forward.

JLB: So, there’s hope for us yet, Rabbi Roth?

RSR: Yes. We are slowly and painfully progressing towards an age when we shall have conquered the urge to do what is wrong and to disobey. When “the end of days” comes, all mankind will be vegan once again. Every Jew who adopts veganism is taking one more small step towards hastening the coming of the Messianic ideal.

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