Murder or Mitzvah: the Ethics of Animals as Food
Ellie Ash and Annie Bass
Kashrut, the corps of mitzvot on how and what we eat, is inescapable in Jewish life. It is simultaneously divisive, archaic, and central to Jewish identity and morality. Kashrut elevates our animal need for sustenance by connecting it with how we treat the animals that we eat. We will study Jewish sources across time about the theology, ethics, and sociology of meat-eating. Through these texts we will refine our ethical lens as we examine relevant topics in Masechet Hullin, the section of the Talmud dedicated to non-sacrificial slaughter.
Ellie Ash and Annie Bass are a hevruta born at the NHC Summer Institute. They have been studying Mishna Hullin by phone for the past two years. They are undergraduate students at Stanford and Cornell universities, respectively.
Categories
- Intermediate Text
- Spiritual and Religious Life
- Morning Course
