Yaakov Raskin | How to treat living beings with respect

A ST James man who was recently sentenced for beating his neighbour’s dog to death brought the topic of animal cruelty into the public eye. Across many parts of the world, animals are neglected, abused, abandoned and treated like they are not living beings. However, this topic has become a priority for Jamaica’s Government. Last year, the prime minister’s office created a special task force under the Jamaica Constabulary Force to promote enforcement of Jamaica’s existing animal protection laws.

I’m often asked to share the Jewish perspective on topics of moral and ethical concern. Last week, I was interviewed on a popular radio station where we discussed the recent Jewish festival of Hanukkah and the 7 Noahide Laws, a set of universal moral principles to promote ethical and harmonious living. The interviewer and I talked at length about the law which states that one must not tear a limb from a living animal, and how this relates generally to animal welfare and Jewish dietary laws.

In the Jewish religion, we place a great emphasis on caring for animals. If a person owns animals or birds, we have a commandment that we must feed our animals first in the morning before eating food ourselves. This is based upon the verse in Deuteronomy 11:15, which states that God “will grant grass for your cattle in your field so that you may eat and be satisfied”. One of the 613 commandments that Jews must follow is to not cause unnecessary pain or suffering for animals.

The ethical treatment of animals extends into our dietary regulations known as the Kosher laws. Kosher literally means “fit” or “proper” for consumption, and, for many years in Jamaica, people used the expression “It’s all kosher” to mean that something was done properly and decently, in a manner befitting humankind.

Kosher dietary laws dictate which animals we can and can’t eat, how we slaughter and prepare the meat, and how we cook and serve them. The laws of Kosher state that we must use a specially designed, extremely sharp knife to slaughter an animal. We do this to cause as little pain as possible, reduce the animal’s suffering, and ensure the quickest possible death.

There are other aspects to the Kosher rules, such as which animals are considered Kosher – pork and shellfish are not; how the meat is processed – all meat must be put in a bath of coarse salt to draw out the blood; and how the food is prepared – meat and dairy cannot be eaten in the same meal. Additionally, no utensils used in the preparation of Kosher food can have come into contact with non-Kosher or improperly killed animals. There are many rationales behind each aspect of Kosher, but an overarching one is that we want to make sure we are doing so in a holy and proper way.

These dietary laws have been a staple of Jewish life for millennia, including here in Jamaica. Historians of Jamaican Jewish history have found 18th century British government documents granting permission for Jews on the island to import Kosher food. In the book Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean, Edward Kritzler documents how, even before there were established Jewish communities in Jamaica, rabbis like Samuel Pallache kept Kosher while traversing the Caribbean.

Since Chabad of Jamaica was established in 2014, we have brought down a trained butcher on a few occasions to provide us with Kosher meat and chicken. However, we are still looking for a suitable local facility to reliably allow us to slaughter and process Kosher meat. Until now, the simplest option has been to import Kosher food from abroad. Importing Kosher items like chicken, meat, chocolate, fish and cheese is not a simple task, and requires a variety of permits. Over the years, we’ve brought countless suitcases filled with Kosher food, and recently began importing entire shipping containers of Kosher frozen meat to meet the increased demand.

People often ask why we go to such lengths to bring Kosher food to Jamaica. There are several reasons. First, we believe that every meal deserves to come with the taste of home – whether it’s a bowl of chicken soup, a hot brisket or a sweet kosher dessert. Providing these to our guests helps people feel warm and comfortable.

But, on a deeper level, keeping Kosher is how we strive to live pure and G-d-fearing lives. As the saying goes, “you are what you eat”, and having a red line of what we are not allowed to eat makes us more mindful of the foods we are putting in our bodies. Ultimately, the way we treat animals serves as a mirror that reflects us back to our own humanity, instilling within us a sense of kindness and love for other living creatures.

The Jewish laws of Kosher and wisdom around animal welfare teach us that every living creature deserves dignity and respect. When we embrace these principles, we elevate not just our dining tables but our very souls. In today’s world, these ancient teachings remind us that every act of compassion, no matter how small, helps build a more harmonious world for all of G-d’s creatures.