[Avodah] animals and bechira??

[Micha Berger]

On Fri, Jan 13, 2012 at 02:20:08PM -0600, Lisa Liel wrote:
> No, animals do not have bechira chofshit.  Only Bnei Adam, who have  
> Tzelem Elokim, have bechira chofshit.

RHB, you should take a look at our discussion about tzaar baalei chaim.

I argued that bechirah chafshis and being aware of one's own thoughts
go hand in hand. Bechirah means being able to think about one's thinking
and also to make decisions, and thus change one's train of thought.

Therefore, I concluded that since animals do not have bechirah, they
neither are aware of their own thoughts. They can feel pain, but not
think about feeling pain. Misery and suffering the way humans do is
simply impossible.

And from that I argued that tzaar baalei chaim is a mitzvah bein adam
le'atzmo, because (while one can cause pain) one isn't causing suffering.
But a little boy who pulls wings off flies or hunts squirrels is
practicing middos that will haunt human victims later.

http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/vol10/v10n091.shtml#14

http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/getindex.cgi?section=A#AGRIPROCESSORS%20IN%20THE%20NEWS%20KASHRUS%20QUESTION
or http://bit.ly/wjIp6P

Gut Voch!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Weeds are flowers too
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