Permission to Eat Meat/2/en

Permission to Eat Meat

Exegetical Approaches

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Never Prohibited

Meat was permitted from the beginning of time.  Even Adam was never prohibited from eating animals.

Sources:PhiloQUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON GENESIS, II:58About Philo, R. Saadia Gaon #1Commentary Bereshit 1 (p. 259-260)Commentary Bereshit 9 (p. 344)About R. Saadia Gaon, RalbagBereshit Beur HaMilot 1:29About R. Levi b. Gershom, ShadalBereshit 1:30Bereshit 9:4About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto

"הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת כׇּל עֵשֶׂב זֹרֵעַ זֶרַע ... לְאׇכְלָה" – According to this position, in these words Hashem never intended to limit man's food to vegetation. The exegetes differ, though, in how they understand the statement:

• R. Saadia explains that Hashem mentioned only grasses and fruits because these are mankind's major food source while meat is a luxury eaten much less often.
• Ralbag asserts that these words are not a command to man at all but rather a further description of his creation and nature.¹  Hashem is simply saying that He created humans with the ability to eat vegetation, even though grasses and plants are far from man's nature and one might have not expected this ability.²

"And you shall rule over the fish" – According to Shadal, it is this phrase that alludes to the fact that Adam was allowed to kill animals for food. He points out that it is impossible to "rule" over fish unless one takes them out of the water, which inevitably leads to their deaths.³  Hashem only alluded to the permission to eat meat rather than saying so explicitly so as not to encourage man to spill blood.

"כׇּל רֶמֶשׂ אֲשֶׁר הוּא חַי לָכֶם יִהְיֶה לְאׇכְלָה" – Ralbag and Shadal assert that Hashem explicitly states that man has permission to eat meat after the flood, not to introduce a new command, but rather to juxtapose the fact with the prohibition to spill man's blood and to tear a limb from a live animal (אבר מן החי).  Hashem warns that although man is allowed to kill animals, this leniency does not extend to people, nor is one allowed act cruelly towards the animal even for the purpose of eating..

Proofs from nature – Shadal attempts to prove that Hashem could never have intended for man to eat only vegetbles from the physiology of humans. He points out that man was created

Prohibited After Adam's Sin Until the Flood

Adam was initially allowed to eat meat but after sinning in the garden, he lost this privilege until the flood atoned for his sins.

Sources:RashbaResponsa 367About R. Shelomo b. Aderet, Tzeror Hamor #2

Permitted After the Flood

Man was not given permission to eat meat until after the flood.  Commentators differ in their understanding of the reason for the change.

Permission was granted as a reward

As a reward for caring for the animals on the ark, Noach and future generations were given permission to eat meat.

Sources:R. Yosef Bekhor ShorBereshit 9:3About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, RadakBereshit 1:29Bereshit 9:3About R. David Kimchi, RambanBereshit 1:29Bereshit 9:3About R. Moshe b. Nachman

Permission was a concession

After the flood, mankind was allowed to eat animals as a concession to human frailties.

Sources:Midrash Aggadah (Buber)Bereshit 9:3About Midrash Aggadah (Buber), R. Yosef ibn KaspiDevarim 22:6About R. Yosef ibn Kaspi, R. Yosef AlboSefer Ha'Ikarim 3:15About R. Yosef Albo, AbarbanelBereshit 9:1-4About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, SefornoBereshit 6:13About R. Ovadyah Seforno, R. A"Y KookR. A"Y Kook, U. CassutoBereshitAbout Prof. Umberto Cassuto

Original prohibition was a practical necessity

Adam was not prohibited from eating meat for any fundamental reason, but rather due to the scarcity of animals at the time or lack of knowledge regarding how to cook them.

Sources:R. Saadia Gaon #2Commentary Bereshit 1 (p. 259-260)Commentary Bereshit 4 (p. 304)Commentary Bereshit 9 (p. 344)About R. Saadia Gaon, Hoil MosheBereshitAbout R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi

¹ As proof that the words are an extension of the description of creation, Ralbag points to the fact that the words are followed by the statement "and it was so", the same phrase that follows the description of the other facets of creation.

² Apparently, according to Ralbag Hashem did not need to mention explicitly that man was created with the ability to eat meat, as this was more obvious since humans and animals are much more similar to each other than to plants.

³ He argues against those who might claim that ruliing might refer to benefiting from the animals, making use of fish oils or the like by pointing out that other instances of the root רדה all connote some typoe of oppression of the other, leading to their subservience.  See the words' usage in Vayikra 25, Vayikra 26:17, and Melakhim  I 5:4.