The Vision of Eden: A Book on Jewish Animal Welfare for All

Rabbi Dovid Sears, the director of the Breslov Center in New York, is a profound Hasidic thinker. As the author of more than a dozen books, his most recent, The Vision of Eden, is a remarkable addition to his canon. The thesis in this important book is simple: Judaism values animals as beings, not only as property or utilities. And throughout the work, Rabbi Sears explores animal welfare, vegetarianism in Jewish law, and, most significantly, the mysticism that lies beneath the Jewish vegetarian ethic. “From its earliest origins,” Rav Sears writes, Judaism has been distinguished by its concerns for the humane treatment of animals (30).

Rav Sears’ book wrestles with concrete practical issues currently based on the broken food industry, but also on esoteric theological issues such as reincarnation and a messianic era. This book is both for carnivores who wish to be more intentional about their life decisions and for vegetarians looking to more deeply understand traditional views on human and animal existence. The breadth of this book, and Rav Sears’ knowledge, is both eclectic in source material and broad in scope. It is rare indeed when someone can combine so much disparate material into a concise, highly readable book. Even never before explored Hasidic sources are served and unpacked to the benefit of the reader.

Rav Shaar Yashuv Cohen, the Chief Rabbi of Haifa, writes in the forward:

I found it very important to read in this book an overall view of how HaRav Kook, as interpreted by his leading disciple, my father HaRav HaNazir, explains the entire system of Kosher Dietary Laws as an education towards the ideal of vegetarianism  and as a “Divine Compromise” to enable the weak human to prepare for this higher level that at present only exceptional people can take upon themselves as their way of life. Every reader of this unique and holy book will benefit extensively from it. Indeed, this book, The Vision of Eden, makes one feel that he has been handed a key to open the closed gates of the Garden of Eden that were shut to us ever since Adam was expelled, and the angels with swords in hand surrounded it, preventing us even from knocking on its gates, let alone entering it.

Additionally, Rav Yaacov Haber, in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel, writes:

The Torah teaches compassion for every living creature. To study its detail is to study the essence of God. Rabbi Sears has done extensive and valuable research into a topic the world depends on for its existence.

A Talmudic passage reminds me why it is so important that, in the harsh world we experience every day, that we should read this book and engage more compassionately with all creatures:

A calf was being taken to the slaughter, when it ran away, hid his head under Rabbi Judah the Prince’s robes, and cried. He said, “Go. For this were you created.” They said, “Since he has no pity, let us bring suffering upon him.” …One day Rabbi’s maidservant was sweeping the house, saw some young weasels lying there, and made to sweep them away. He said to her, “Let them be. It is written: ‘And His mercy is over all His works’ (Ps. 145:9).” They said, “Since he is compassionate, let us be compassionate to him” (Bava Metzia 85a).

If we seek to live in a more compassionate world then we must be partners in building that reality. This tome is a rare collection of wisdom certainly worthy of our attention and gratitude.

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz is the Executive Director of the Valley Beit Midrash, the Founder & President of Uri L’Tzedek, the Founder and CEO of The Shamayim V’Aretz Institute and the author of seven books on Jewish ethics.  Newsweek named Rav Shmuly one of the top 50 rabbis in America.”