Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

We are sharing the very moving words of our friends at Jewish Initiative for Animals… Baruch Dayan Ha’emet. We mourn the loss of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, one of the world’s most renowned and respected leaders who, among his many influential contributions to Jewish life, strove to elucidate and apply Torah’s essential teachings about compassion for animals (tza’ar ba’alei chayim) to contemporary Judaism. In this d’var torah from Ki Teitzei last year [link in profile], he pays close attention to Rambam’s/Maimonides’ different perspectives on animal welfare, and showcases the varying voices and nuanced discourse on caring for animals — sometimes present even within one individual scholar! One thing is clear, however: animals can suffer, and we must respect and protect them if we are to take seriously our role as God’s partners in creation. Zichrono livracha: may his memory be a blessing and may his charge to spread compassion echo with growing resonance now and in years to come.