Aside from
the mitzvah of loving one’s fellow Jew and bearing responsibility for his/her
destiny, it is also a mitzvah to love all of humankind, ahavat habriyot, in recognition that every human being is created in the image of
God. Beyond that, we also must feel the pain of all living creatures (the
literal meaning of Tza’ar ba’ale hayyim). Also
related is kvod ha-briyot – human dignity. Read here to see some of the
many contemporary halachic rulings that have been made on the basis of maintaining
human dignity, from euthanasia to gay rights.
Meanwhile,
read here
details, from an Orthodox perspective, of the extent of the Jewish concern for
the pain of animals, and here
for a more Progressive approach.
Finally, see here,
an article of mine on Animal cruelty and Jewish law.
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