Torah and Jewish Idea > Torah and Jewish Idea
One Thing Chaim Said About Animals . . .
Ari:
that I'm not quite sure I agree with is that they don't have souls. I'm pretty sure I heard Chaim say on an "Ask JTF" show a while back that only people have souls and can tell the difference between right and wrong. I pretty much always agree with Chaim, but on this point wouldn't it mean that animals are pretty much completely oblivious creatures that just live life to satisfy only the most basic needs (food, reproduction, etc.). I'm not saying they can tell the difference between morality the same way humans do, but on some level I would hope that animals do know right from wrong. Isn't this seen in the way many animals care for their young. What do you guys think of this?
yeshuadisciple:
The only thing I can come up with is this ambiguous passage in Ecclesiastes 3:21:
--- Quote ---Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth?
--- End quote ---
Ecclesiastes is a hard book to put into context since it's from the point of view of living a hedonistic and materialistic lifestyle. I don't think the scriptures really comment that much on it, since it's not important to the narrative of man's redemption. I do think though that it's not in God's nature to annihilate life that he has created; that would almost be like undoing a mistake and God does not make mistakes. Animals are not moral free agents but I do believe they have a soul. That's my 2 cents worth anyway.
newman:
--- Quote from: yeshuadisciple on November 28, 2007, 10:38:14 PM ---The only thing I can come up with is this ambiguous passage in Ecclesiastes 3:21:
--- Quote ---Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth?
--- End quote ---
Ecclesiastes is a hard book to put into context since it's from the point of view of living a hedonistic and materialistic lifestyle. I don't think the scriptures really comment that much on it, since it's not important to the narrative of man's redemption. I do think though that it's not in G-d's nature to annihilate life that he has created; that would almost be like undoing a mistake and G-d does not make mistakes. Animals are not moral free agents but I do believe they have a soul. That's my 2 cents worth anyway.
--- End quote ---
I'm with you on that one.
Anybody who has a dog, cat or works with killer whales KNOWS animals have a soul. Maybe not the same level as ours, but a soul of some sort.
Lewinsky Stinks, Dr. Brennan Rocks:
--- Quote from: newman on November 29, 2007, 01:31:38 AM ---
I'm with you on that one.
Anybody who has a dog, cat or works with killer whales KNOWS animals have a soul. Maybe not the same level as ours, but a soul of some sort.
--- End quote ---
I am inclined to agree with you. I don't know for sure but if a creature was made in G-d's image and said to be good, it's hard to see why this isn't possible.
newman:
--- Quote from: C.F. on November 29, 2007, 02:26:02 AM ---
--- Quote from: newman on November 29, 2007, 01:31:38 AM ---
I'm with you on that one.
Anybody who has a dog, cat or works with killer whales KNOWS animals have a soul. Maybe not the same level as ours, but a soul of some sort.
--- End quote ---
I am inclined to agree with you. I don't know for sure but if a creature was made in G-d's image and said to be good, it's hard to see why this isn't possible.
--- End quote ---
I'm not referring to jelly fish or lizards.
But the love and concern that cats & dogs show us indicates a soul. I've heard of dogs saving the lives of complete strangers. Cats have saved whole families from house fires by waking them up when the cat could have just run. Even Killer whales who could smash small boats to pieces have NEVER harmed a human in all recorded history. In Twofold Bay, NSW they used to save whalers from sharks! Wild dolphins in Monkey Meyer regularly beach on the sand bar and take great delite in communing with humans. There is something in them more than blind instinct.
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