How can animals not have souls?

amother

Thu, Nov 21 2013, 5:57 pm

I was just watching this programme and it was amazing

A couple who owned a farm were worried where some orphaned ducklings had disappeared to.

They had a beautiful cat, and after she had just given birth, the set of orphaned ducklings waddled in. Instead of eating them, as she would normally do (and what the couple were fearful of) they walked in to find that she had taken them in as her own, nurtured them, fed them, and brought them up as her own. Apparently, had it been any other time, she would surely have eaten them (as they are her prey), but because it was just after she had given birth, her mothering instinct took over, and she let them feed off her, she was embracing them and keeping them warm next to her tummy. She covered them with her paws.

The couple who owned the farm, a married couple, said it was unbelievable. They went back the next day and the husband, thinking that the cat's hormones would have passed by now and she would go back to seeing the ducklings as her prey, said to his wife that they should take them away from her because he was scared for their safety. His wife, who was a midwife, said that he has nothing to fear. She knows how women are after they give birth, the love they feel, and she can see those same feelings in this cat. To his amazement, they returned the next day and weeks later - still, she continued to view these ducklings not as her pray, but as her own - no different from her kittens.

Another story: A dog lived with its owner somewhere in south Africa or somewhere in America I can't remember. An orphaned deer arrived on the scene, and the dog immediately laid eyes on her. The dog, who saw the orphaned deer as her child, became its mother. The relationship developed, and they played together every day. The dog would be gentle out of consideration for the deer, while the deer tried to be a bit more rough to be like the dog. The owner said she was amazed and knew that they had a deep, meaningful friendship. After a month the deer wanted to go into the wild. But she did not stay there permanently. Each evening, she would return to see the dog. Eventually the deer spent more time in the wild, but never forgot the dog. She would return, and the owner said that the relationship developed over time. it grew to become a friendship of "old friends" instead of child and adoptive mother. Instead of playing together, they would just sit together on the dog's bed/mat and rest on each other. She would return regularly to "catch up", and it was the most natural thing.

I found these stories so beautiful!

FranticFrummie

Thu, Nov 21 2013, 6:10 pm

This is just my opinion, based on nothing in particular*.

I believe that all living things have their own "spark of divinity". Not maybe a soul as we know it in human terms, but an ability to love and nurture that was given to them by Hashem. When I see the way my dog looks at me with her soft brown eyes, when I'm having a hard day, the way she'll gently put her paw on me as if to say "Mom, are you OK?" I just know that there's a spark in there.

When we've had to put pets to sleep, I tell DD that "the little spark goes back into the Creator, to become part of the original Divine."

I have no idea if we will see animals in The World to Come, but I'd be really happy if we do!

*there is NO halachic basis for anything I just said, as far as I know.*

amother

Thu, Nov 21 2013, 6:31 pm

it is not said that they don't have souls. Judaism has the highest consideration and respect for animals. The way a person treats an animal/s is very important and speaks highly of their character.

It is just that their soul is not on such a high level as ours. Of course many human beings are (sadly) worse than animals, much worse in many cases.

Everything that G-d created that walks I.e. humans/animals and even to a certain extent nature, has a G-dly spark in it. They make up this universe. Animals are able to feel, they are able to love, they are able to feel quite a wide range of (human) emotion: even to a very beautiful level. There is no doubt about that. I also have watched those amazing programmes. I love animals too(:

On a very basic level though, their soul does not contain the POTENTIAL that our souls do. Their soul gives them the ability to feel, to love, it gives them emotion and everything like that. The same as us - except we have one higher dimension - we have the ability to connect to G-d, on a profound level. We also have a higher mind, which enables us to comprehend lofty concepts. Some animals can be quite smart, but their intelligence and potential insight and wisdom is nothing whatsoever like ours.

So although many human beings do not utilise the potential they have, and many do not even act like human beings in the first place, the fact is that we have an added (and much higher) dimension to our souls, which makes us superior in G-d's eyes, and the creatures that G-d decided He wanted to have a relationship with. He gave us all the power we needed to enable us to become an equal partner in that relationship.

Still animals have their own kind of spiritual energy that is fitting for them - and G-d wants them to be protected. Anyone who is cruel to an animal - G-d sees that, and doesn't like it.

Everything on this earth - mountains, lakes, trees, animals - they are works of G-d, and He created them.

amother

Thu, Nov 21 2013, 6:39 pm

Also - G-d left the responsibility of looking after animals with us, as a way of igniting growth in human beings as a collective and teaching us responsibility. It is humans who in many cases look after them. Part of keeping kosher is out of consideration for the animal. Judaism is extremely concerned about treating those who are vulnerable with the outmost sensitivity.

And I have no doubt that since animals are created by Hashem, that when they die the living spark within them goes back to Hashem.

bigsis144

Fri, Nov 22 2013, 3:41 am

I understand a soul to be the source of bechira. Free will is what allows us to emulate G-d, and while animals can have intelligence and altruism and love, I don't think they truly have bechira.

Just as I believe that no animal can be fully, consciously evil (and I've known some nasty-tempered cats in my day), no matter how bloodthirsty or vicious it can get, the reverse must be true as well. You can say that animals are like angels that way -- they may be good, but they lack the free will to earn their own Goodness.

amother

Fri, Nov 22 2013, 5:31 am

bigsis144 wrote:

I see what you are saying, but to a certain extent, animals do also have free will. For example, in the programme I saw, the cat chose not to eat the ducklings (which is the most basic and natural instinct for her), and instead to nurture them, and never did she eat them, instead she continued to regard them as her own offspring. She essentially suppressed her most essential inclination and chose to follow her mothering instinct. It was unheard of.

FranticFrummie

Fri, Nov 22 2013, 5:57 am

I don't think it's an issue of being "good" or "evil". Chimpanzees and dolphins have been known to murder others in their group davka just because they felt like it. Chimps are especially vicious in murdering the infants of a female that they want for their own. They'll kill the baby, and then immediately impregnate the female to "claim her".

I don't think you can really extrapolate a moral condition from this behavior. As the eloquent amother above said "On a very basic level though, their soul does not contain the POTENTIAL that our souls do. Their soul gives them the ability to feel, to love, it gives them emotion and everything like that. The same as us - except we have one higher dimension - we have the ability to connect to G-d, on a profound level. We also have a higher mind, which enables us to comprehend lofty concepts. Some animals can be quite smart, but their intelligence and potential insight and wisdom is nothing whatsoever like ours."