Hear the case out loud.
This argument comes from Judaism's own sources, and these three teachers make it in public. Asa Keisar, an Orthodox scholar who gathered many of its sources, teaches in Hebrew. Rabbi David Rosen, a former Chief Rabbi of Ireland, and Rabbi Akiva Gersh teach in English, in short talks published by Jewish Vegan Life.
Each video lists its contents before you decide to watch. Each line in that list starts the video at the point it names. Nothing loads from YouTube until you press play — no player, no thumbnail, no script — so reading this page sends nothing to YouTube.
This site hosts none of the videos. Each one plays from the channel that published it, because the work belongs to the people who made it. The views in them are the speakers' own. Where a speaker claims more than a source says, the note under the video says so, and the source itself is in the list of sources.
Asa Keisar
Both talks are in Hebrew: a long lecture, and five minutes on a television morning show. The lecture has English subtitles built into the picture. The interview has only the captions YouTube generates, and its byline says so. Read his section in step five, the need.
The lecture every Jew should see
Asa Keisar · 72 min · Hebrew, English subtitles on the picture
What is in it
The longest version of the lecture, and the fullest on sacrifice. From 54:00, for about fifteen minutes, it covers the Rambam's account of why sacrifice was commanded at all, and the prophets he reads to support it. Read it beside the Ramban, who disagreed with the Rambam on exactly this; the lecture does not give the Ramban's side. It also makes claims this site does not repeat: that Vayikra 22:27 bans separating a calf from his mother, when the verse only sets when an animal may be offered; and that the Torah gave in to human nature. No authority has ruled on buying meat, milk and eggs. None needs to, because the Torah already forbids causing animals needless suffering.
Asa Keisar · Embedded from the speaker's own channel, which asks to be shared · watch on YouTube
The world this morning, Channel 2
Asa Keisar · 5:52 · Hebrew, automatic subtitles
What is in it
Five minutes on a morning show, in Hebrew, with two presenters who interrupt. It is the shortest version of this argument anywhere, and the only one made to an audience that did not come looking for it. It covers what kind of permission this is, why the sources are older than the last century, and what the Alshich said to the claim that eating an animal raises it.
Channel 2 (Israel), HaOlam HaBoker · Broadcast by Channel 2 and posted to the speaker's own channel. Embedded from there, never copied: this site does not host the file. · watch on YouTube
Rabbi David Rosen
One short talk in English. He ends by asking what people learn about the Torah when meat from factory farms is called kosher. Step four makes the same point in its section on what a kosher certificate covers.
What Balaam’s donkey teaches us
Rabbi David Rosen · 9:35 · English
What is in it
A short talk on the Torah reading of Balak by a former Chief Rabbi of Ireland. Jewish Vegan Life also posted its closing argument, from 8:17, as a reel. In the talk he still allows meat from humane farms.
Jewish Vegan Life · Embedded from the publisher's own channel, never copied: this site does not host the file. · watch on YouTube
Rabbi Akiva Gersh
A short talk in English on why the Torah's first diet had no animals in it, and why meat was allowed after the Flood.
The original diet
Rabbi Akiva Gersh · 6:51 · English
What is in it
Seven minutes in English on a question step two takes up: why the Torah gives people plants to eat, then allows meat after the Flood. The Rabbi Melamed passage he reads is a different one from the one this site cites.
Jewish Vegan Life · Embedded from the publisher's own channel, never copied: this site does not host the file. · watch on YouTube