Noah. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1893
- Title
- Noah. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1893
- Author
- Morais, Sabato
- Date Created
- 1893
- Format
- 5 pages on 2 sheets
- Language(s)
- English
- Source
- Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies
- Sabato Morais Collection, Box 9, Folder 2
- Has Format
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3v698z03/manifest.json
- Link to Colenda
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3v698z03
- Provenance
- Transfer of Custody from the Hebrew Education Society, 10 March 1913.
- Is Format Of
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx9FF2_6.xml
- content
-
S. MORAIS,
546 N. FIFTH STREET.
PHILADELPHIA,__________1893
On the Shechitah question
For Parashat Noah
The Shechitah question, or the principle involving either humanity or--according to some--inhumanity in the me--thod of slaughtering animals, whose flesh is per--missible to Jews, has exercised the minds of our neighbors of the Christian creed, quite often.
Perhaps, Switzerland can claim the unenviable credit of having led the van of the opposition. More than once she determinedly set her face against our traditional system. Years ago some of the cantons forbade it altogether, thus placing our brethren of the Helvetic Confederacy, who are observant of the Law, in a great predicament. I remember that when that happened, the Rev. Isaac Leeser wrote forcibly to disprove the charges of cruelty touching our regulations, while myself and others united to the same purpose, in more recent years times.
Now, it is very ungracious in any one to ac--cuse individuals or nations of nurturing inveterate prejudice, but I do not think believe that I wrong,
out of malice aforethought, the country of William Tell, when I accuse her of cherishing a deep rooted ill will. She has repeatedly and persistently hampered Israelites by her anticipations, and the feelings which she undisguisedly mani--fested would have influenced other lands, if the authority of a [?] and scientists of a like standing in France, Italy and England had not disarmed opposition. Shame upon some pseudo rabbis who, to play the liberal, advanced flimsy and untenable arguments, to sanction encourage wink at religious persecution! Persecution I call it and a fitting appellation it is, when applied to the conduct of Switzerland towards her Hebrew citizens. For, she may cure nothing for Judaism, but she must know that there are Jews--and not a few--within her borders, who would rather suffer hunger than feed upon that which their conscience rejects. Ought a well regulated government to coerce a portion of the population into the accept--ance of measures that imperil their existence,
while benefitting in no shape or form other por--tions of the same population? Even on the score of kindness to the brute creation, such pro--ceedings would be unwarranted. For, surely the preservation of men's lives is a matter of higher consideration, than that of sparing animals acute pains. But the majority of voters who, at the Referendum decided to prevent our Shechitah process, cannot justify their action on the ground of humanity, because it has been authoritatively shown that the Jewish me--thod is the best for a number of reasons. By it the loss of all sensation in the animal is instantaneous; the flesh will keep softer and healthier because of the flow of the blood, which is the mainspring of corruption, while the examination of the lungs, must act as a safe--guard against the communication of diseases, apt to become engrafted upon our own lungs. Did I not fear to repeat myself, I would
set forth the results of my personal researches into that subject, and mention also my experience in connection with the Philadelphia society of prevention of cruelty to animals. Suffice to say, that by the ingenious confession of men, whose interest it is to encourage the prevailing system among gentiles, our is declared preferable from a humane and a wholesome point of view and by reason of wholesomeness. I do honor men and women, who vigilantly watch that no unnecessary suf--fering be inflicted upon dumb creatures, although, at times, the over zeal has done us injustice. To us, whom Moses commanded to relieve a beast crouching under a heavy burden, if it even belongs to a person who openly hates us; to bring back to our enemy his ox or his ass when straying away from the customary shelter; to us, Israel--ites, I say, the sight of a horse or of a mule beaten by a brutal driver, must be revolting. No one who has profitably read the Bible, or has caught the spirit of numerous maxims and legends of the Rabbis, regarding the humane kindly feelings which we should exhibit towards
domestic animals, can help exercising tender con-sideration in the use of beings of the lower creation, that do us service. Mark what we have perused in to day's Pentateuch portion and let it serv be our guide. [Hebrew] "But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, ye shall not eat" signifying that while the animal is alive, we shall not dare to feed upon it, by cutting off any part of its body to satisfy our greed or our hunger--a practice not rare among savage some barbarous tribes. That prohibit--ion gave origin to the instilation of the Shechitah, essentially the operation imparted by tradition, as the safest to man in his nutriment, and the least painful to irrational beings. Indeed, had not Holy Writ and the Talmud left as rules and apho--risms, showing that the Almight cares for the defenceless creatures, which He placed under our dominion, a sentence in the same Parashah would go far to prove that all are in His compassionate thought. The promise given to Noah that the earth would never
undergo such a catastrophe as it had suffered by the deluge, included every thing that has exist-ance [Hebrew] [Hebrew] "And I, behold I establish My covenant with you and with your seed after you and with every living creature that is with you, the fowl, the cattle and every beast of the earth with you". Would that mankind did not need to subject ani-mals to the loss of life, but the permission to deprive beasts of their existence, in order to sustain ours, does not imply a license to cruelly torture them, as they surely do those who indulge in the wanton sport of the chase, or who degrade to their manhood by inciting beasts to the fight. Very contrary to that, a legend which illustrates the regret felt by the sages of Israel at the necessity of shedding the blood of animals even for our own subsistence, is most touching. Let me relate it. The famous Judah the Prince [Hebrew], who formulated the text of
of the Mishnah was on a certain day while walking abroad was followed by a young calf that made a noise as if crying imploring to be hidden under the folds of the Rabbi's garment, and not to be driven into the slaughter-house. Judah the Prince, turned around and chasing the animal away said [Hebrew] [Hebrew] "Go to thy destiny, for thy lot is to be killed" Harsh words were they which cost the sage bodily infirmities. [Hebrew] [Hebrew] So wrote the misjudged and abused Tal--mudists. Oh! that gentilism would learn to appreciate the principles of tender humanity, which underlie the Jewish religion! We would not see, ignorance, allied to malevolence, vex and hamper the children of Abraham. We would not hear of the unrighteous decisions of Cantons in self-styled free Switzerland. The peace and good-will preached in churches would become a reality and not an empty invocation. The law Bible and the traditions would stand vind-icated, for the former teaches that "the Lord is good to all and His tender mercies are towards all His work", [Hebrew] while the latter tells us that [Hebrew]
to spare the brute creation by not subjecting it to un--necessary pain and burden, is a controlling rule in the Jewish religion. May we ever conform with it.
This lecture was lengthened by quoting Rabbinical sayings & legends. - Identifier
- p3v698z03
- identifier
- SMBx9FF2_6
Part of Noah. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1893
Morais, Sabato, “Noah. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1893”, Sabato Morais Digital Repository, accessed September 19, 2024, https://judaicadhpenn.org/legacyprojects/s/morais/item/91038