The Meat Trap

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​Imagine still clinging to a pacifier—pathetic, right? Yet, humanity clings to one: meat. After the flood, Noah failed his 'strength' test by killing and eating animals. As a result, his weakness transformed meat into his 'Meat-Pacifier.'

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Viewing the Creator's permission for Noah to eat meat as a concession is an affront to Divine Justice. Not only was there no concession, but Noah was held accountable for the weak decision-making that caused nature to suffer: permission is not a concession to immorality; it is the power to choose, given to Noah to reveal his true character. While Noah was permitted to eat meat, he was not required to.

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The Creator established the world on the principle of mutual benefit. When this balance is disrupted, Divine Justice steps in to administer karma, restoring the world's natural balance. Once Noah killed and ate animals, the law of 'Cause & Effect'* took hold: stronger animals mirrored this shift, preying upon the weak for food. This shift disrupted the natural order, leading to a decline in animal populations and reproductive health. As a result, Divine Justice stepped in, and Noah faced the karmic consequences of his actions, experiencing a parallel struggle in his own ability to multiply and flourish. This proves breaking the mirror of nature is breaking ourselves. Therefore, by caring for the animal kingdom, the Creator is actually caring for humanity. However, choosing to take advantage of his power over the weak took Noah on a journey to build spiritual strength and moral awareness.

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After the Exodus, the Creator sealed the message 'Thou Shalt Not Kill' as a broad commandment, proving animal lives matter to Him. Yet, despite forty years of Divine Justice's efforts to break Noah’s offspring of their dependence on the 'Meat-Pacifier' to restore balance, the Israelites clung to it. They rendered that effort worthless through weak justifications, insisting that: there is no difference between a living, breathing creature and a plant; a meat diet is better than a vegetarian diet; honoring Shabbat with meat is important; or that by eating and reciting a blessing, they were 'elevating' the animal.

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Let us face the truth: all these justifications are merely pretexts for clinging to the 'Meat-Pacifier.' Animals' role as potential sacrifices for our sins indicates they are valuable substitutes for human life, not mere sustenance. They share our blood and life force. Vegetables can never pay that price. Plant-based diets are consistently found to be more sustainable and healthier according to science. Shabbat is meant to be a taste of the 'World to Come,' where there is no killing—tasting animals is not the taste of that world. We are called to be holy, a state that requires spiritual strength, not the taste of flesh. Immorality cannot be elevated. To consume a creature under the guise of 'elevating' it only serves to degrade our own souls; we become what we eat, absorbing lower animalistic traits. Furthermore, according to the law of 'Cause & Effect' animals may be affected by humans' immoralities, and when we feast on them, we betray our spiritual purity and poison our own nature.

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True elevation is not found at the dinner table; it is found when we master our own behavior. Animals can be considered the Creator's pets. The law of 'Cause & Effect' dictates that when we exploit them for food, stronger animals follow suit and prey on the weak for food as well, which is against the will and kindness of the Creator. Indeed, offering the Creator a blessing over forbidden food is not a blessing but rather a manipulation.

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Kosher laws were never an endorsement of consuming meat but rather a concession for those struggling to master their cravings. Restricting meat consumption after the Exodus shows it is not constructive and ignoring this is an insult to the Creator's wisdom, recalling the 'Graves of Cravings' where many perished from lusting after flesh.

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Justifications are distractions for clinging to the 'Meat-Pacifier,' aiming to pull us away from our 'strength,' which acts as the ladder to the spiritual world, as illustrated by Jacob’s dream. Without mastering this internal 'strength' rather than relying solely on ritual prayer, we cannot reach the spiritual level of angels.

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The Creator does not desire a 'weak' nation addicted to meat. He did not spend forty years training the Israelites to refrain from meat as a dietary staple, only for those efforts to be dismissed as meaningless. Our continued justifications for indulging in meat keep us in the 'Meat Trap' and have failed to prevent Divine Judgment in the past. During the Holocaust, the atrocities committed against the Jewish people—the cages, the ovens, and the clinical experiments—mirrored the industrial brutality we inflict upon animals. Yet we have failed to learn the karmic lesson because we cannot imagine life without meat. Saying 'Never Again' should signify an escape from the 'Meat Trap' to change the way we treat animals, rather than an arrogant attempt to stop karma.

 

​— Bahram Cohanfard

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​*The law of 'Cause & Effect' dictates that because 'Mother Nature' acts as the female aspect of creation, her nature is to follow the tone set by human beings. Since animals are a major part of 'Mother Nature,' they follow as well; in essence, animals mirror human behavior. For this reason, the Creator warned Adam and Chava not to eat the forbidden fruit, because such weakness would cause Mother Nature to follow suit and become weak too. Read the full article: Cause & Effect

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​​**Please note that if you are a religious figure, you are the primary teacher and role model for your community. Leadership carries a heavy weight of responsibility. When those in power mislead the community, they bear the burden of the sins committed by those who follow them.

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