וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים תּוֹצֵ֨א הָאָ֜רֶץ נֶ֤פֶשׁ חַיָּה֙ לְמִינָ֔הּ בְּהֵמָ֥ה וָרֶ֛מֶשׂ וְחַֽיְתוֹ־אֶ֖רֶץ לְמִינָ֑הּ וַֽיְהִי־כֵֽן:
1: 24 G-d said, “Let the earth bring forth every kind of living creature: cattle, creeping things, and wild beasts of every kind.” And it was so.
וַיַּ֣עַשׂ אֱלֹהִים֩ אֶת־חַיַּ֨ת הָאָ֜רֶץ לְמִינָ֗הּ וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָה֙ לְמִינָ֔הּ וְאֵ֛ת כָּל־רֶ֥מֶשׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֖ה לְמִינֵ֑הוּ וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים כִּי־טֽוֹב:
1: 25 G-d made wild beasts of every kind and cattle of every kind, and all kinds of creeping things of the earth. And G-d saw that this was good.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֔ים נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה אָדָ֛ם בְּצַלְמֵ֖נוּ כִּדְמוּתֵ֑נוּ וְיִרְדּוּ֩ בִדְגַ֨ת הַיָּ֜ם וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם וּבַבְּהֵמָה֙ וּבְכָל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וּבְכָל־הָרֶ֖מֶשׂ הָֽרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ:
1: 26 And G-d said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. They shall rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the cattle, the whole earth, and all the creeping things that creep on earth.”
Why does G-d say, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”? There is only one G-d, so who else are humans made in the image of? In the preceding verses, G-d brought forth every living creature: cattle, creeping things, and wild beasts of every kind. Humans aren’t completely similar to G-d or creatures. Our ability to reason separates us from the other living creatures; we possess a type of sentience that isn’t shared. Unlike G-d, we must eat, sleep, and drink water to survive, and eventually we die. These characteristics resemble that of all kinds of living creatures. According to the plural first noun used in Genesis 1:26 and the preceding text about the creation of all living creatures, it may be concluded that humans are made in the image of both G-d and all living creatures.
If this conclusion is correct, humans are made up of an animalistic part and another part which has the ability to reason. Throughout history, humans have grappled with pursuing our desires and maintaining an honorable moral code; there are many instances in which these two actions are in direct conflict with each other. One group which recognized this dynamic was the Musar movement, which began in the nineteenth century in Lithuania under the leadership of Rabbi Israel Lipkin Salanter (1810-1883). One of Rabbi Salanter’s disciples, Rabbi Simhah Zissel Ziv (1824-1898) stresses that a human being must know “his own animal soul,” the often-inhumane tendencies that pervade human nature.[1] He continues by describing how that animality must be disciplined so that the side of reason can prevail. According to the Babylonian Talmud, the Torah forbids suffering to animals, which can be argued to mean not bestowing a burden which an animal can’t bear. Geoffrey Claussen writes, “People—morally capable human beings, at least, who reflect the divine image—clearly deserve attention ‘all the more’ than animals do. As Simhah Zissel notes elsewhere, ‘it is forbidden to needlessly cause pain [to animals], and all the more so it is prohibited to cause pain to a human being.’”[2]
It’s understandable that humans wish to separate themselves from animals; modern Western society tries to ignore and conceal human limitations and instead tries to beget a sense of boundless consumption. The luxurious life that so many lead is at the cost of the earth, creatures, and all its resources. Humans must use our ability to reason and realize our resemblance to the animals. Animals in the factory-farming industry are unnecessarily suffering due to inhumane living conditions. Humans have an obligation to acknowledge that our superfluous lifestyle causes unnecessary suffering and also isn’t sustainable; meat consumption at the current rate will have devastating ramifications on our planet. By acknowledging the animalistic aspect of humans and our ability to reason, humans may then begin repairing the damage we have caused.
[1] Geoffrey Claussen, “JEWISH VIRTUE ETHICS AND COMPASSION FOR ANIMALS: A Model from the Musar Movement,” CrossCurrents 61, no. 2 (2011): 208-16.
[2] Claussen, “JEWISH VIRTUE ETHICS AND COMPASSION FOR ANIMALS,” 208-16.
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