The fact that we are allowed to eat meat does not mean we must. The fact that women are exempt from certain mitsvot does not mean they are forbidden to.... or hang on - that´s exactly your line of argument, right?

As president of Jewish Vegetarians of North America, I find such articles interesting. But, I continue to wonder how the Jewish community can continue to generally be in denial of some important facts: * The production and consumption of meat and other animal products arguably violate basic Jewish mandates to preserve our health, treat animals with compassion, protect the environment, conserve natural resources, help hungry people and pursue peace. * Animal-based diets are contributing to an epidemic of hear disease, various types of cancer and other chronic degenerative diseases in the Jewish and other communities. * Animal-based agriculture emits more greenhouse gases (in CO2 equivalents) than all the cars and other means of transportation worldwide combined (18% vs. 13.5%) and also contributes substantially to many other environmental threats. * At a time when an estimated 20 million people are dying of hunger and its effects, 70% of the grain produced in the US is fed to animals destined for slaughter. During this “Century of Drought, with billions of people lckinfg access to clean water, a typical animal-based diet requires up to 14 times as much water as a vegan diet. When will the Jewish community start addressing the many moral issues related to animal-based diets? Time for a dialog/debate on "Should Jews Be Vegetarians?" For more information, please see my over 140 articles and 25 podcasts at JewishVeg.com/schwartz and see our documentary "A Sacred Duty: Applying Jewish Values to Help Heal the World" at ASacredDuty.com. Thanks Kudos to Tom Friedman for this very insightful article

Rabbi Lior is completely misinformed. Only by changing our meat diet to a vegan diet, can we raise our consciousness and thus ascend spiritually. Showing respect for all living beings is one of the ten commandments of the bible: "Thou shall not kill". Animals are like us but in different form. They have the same feelings and emotions as we do. Slaughtering animals for their flesh is the same as not showing any love and compassion for any living creatures including Mother Eartth created by God. Climate change is the outcome of our bad deeds, actions and thinking. GO VEGAN to save our souls and the planet.

Eating a little piece of Kosher meat is or can be good;the problem stands it the exagerating barbecues where one fills his/her self beyond normal physical needs. Self indulgence is destroying the planet,not a moderate eating of a piece of meat.

sure, a bit painful but what a wild ride. Seriously - animal protein has already been linked to many diseases in the Western world. It might be from over-consumption or over-automation of our food supply, or more likely - the sedentary lifestyle mixed with all the above. The big question is - what does man really need to be healthy vs. what the food industry needs to be healthy (i.e. profitable). Milk has a protein which accelerates growth and renewal, something only need in young kids. It's destructive to adults but the milk industry pushes it hard.

All of the amino acids, vitamins, minerals, etc needed for proper human function can be found in a vegan diet easily. You could honestly go without eating one animal-derived product and meet this criteria. The problem is - the majority are not knowledgeable about which foods have what, how to combine them, and what times to eat them. My wife is a nutritionist and Chinese herbalist. It can be done. Protein? Hummous and tahina, for example. Iron? Beets, green leafy veggies Calcium? almonds, green leafy veggies Omega 3? Flax seeds, walnuts Vit D? The Sun - 20 minutes every other day, without sunglasses.

Dairy products are far worse than meat, although both should be avoided. How does it make sense to drink the infant food of another animal? It fills your body with mucous! The protein of milk raises the likelihood of cancer and in no way is it good for bones. Human milk is for baby humans and cow milk for baby cows. For people who say meat is necessary just read the bible, before the time of Noach man did not eat meat. People eat far too much meat, maybe once a month would be okay for people who won't quit it at all, but it should be eaten alone, and given enough time to digest. There is nothing health promoting or beneficial about meat though, for people who are serious about being healthy, they must follow a vegan diet full of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables. Plant a fruit tree, it will give you fruits for 50 years or more, it will clean the air, fix the soil, and make you feel good to eat the fruit. Wake up Israel, become vegans, clean the rivers, plant more fruit trees, every street should have fruit trees on them, take care of the land, of your health like we are commanded to. Be compassionate to animals and to each other, don't waste our resources by eating meat. Everything about it is negative.

in plain English, he's an ignoramus regarding the merits of a vegetarian diet and the demerits of a meat-eating diet. The spiritual reaons he tacks onto meat-eating can just as easily be revised and transposed to a veg. diet-- as per Rav Kook, R' Chaim Macoby, also illustrious Jews like A.D. Gordon and S. Agnon. Lior's putdown reminds me of the ignorant putdown of meditation as a form of avoda zara back in the 1970's by so-called Torah giants like Ovadia Yosef and Menachem Mendel Schneerson.

It's a good time to be a vegetarian (or even just to cut down the amount of meat eaten). There is a lot of different foods out there and a lot of information. To me, there'd be no need to somehow wait for special conditions.

Since I converted I have not heard more grandstanding, empty honor statements, superiority complexes, hate mongering, cult self promotion, cult confinement from outside influences, false excuses, and laying down on the law of being righteous in judgement than the what ropes Rabbis have created to get the Israeli nation to pull unrighteousness upon themselves. A choose life Jew is not the same as a choose death Jew. The idea that G-d eventually wants us not to eat meat to be more spiritual IS NOT IN TORAH. If I wanted to be taught Jainism, why did I come to Torah? G-d request animal sacrafices. Does that mean HE has not achieved the level of mercy that the spirituality confused Rabbi speaks of? Devarim 12:19 paraphrased - eat till you're content according to the blessing G-d gives you. Meat = blessing. Are you going to take that bond of appreciation for blessings away by implying it is "not good" and "not merciful" "low level" to eat G-d's blessings? Is this not poluting Israel's thought before Pesach when we are to gather and eat meat? We are to have lamb and we already give a broken/cut burnt bone to feast on while we offer wine to an eternal man who lives as a g-d in heaven(eliyahu). A claimed prophet who broke the law of removing paganism from Israel but rather encouraged it in a competition with Baal. Doesn't sound like a servant of G-d and Torah to me. Instead of tearing down the pagan alter as commanded, he FIXED it and sacraficed on this unclean surface? Devarim 13 would indite him? Hebrews are not toys, nor slaves to mind control, nor sheep to be led into dishonor with G-d. Torah is ours to know. Not yours to countradict.

If we don't do one thing we should abandon doing anything? Kind of like that Christian concept none could be perfect in tha law so god sacraficed his son and did another way instead of the law? When is mercy a matter limited to binary all or none in a blanket statements? I guess wisdom and righetous judgement is taking a backseat in this fantasy ride. So because I an a jerk in traffic, I should hurt little animals? GOOD ONE RABBI..T

Man is, on the one hand, a "super creation", way above all other organisms ever created by nature. Man is blessed with intellect, the power to discern between right and wrong, the power to analyize and decide that which is good and that which is bad. Man is a strange creature because he knows full well that smoking, intake of sugar, excessive ingestion of meat and indeed all excessive indulgence in eating habits, are detrimental to his health and wellbeing, yet he continues unabatedly. How strange, and may I add, to me completely unfathomable.

Oh OK since HaRav Kook said about this that when the world ascends spiritually – we will be vegetarians" it must be true. Bahahaha! So HaRav Kook was anti Torah. I learn so much new from the Rabbis. Sages?! "When a person from Israel eats, if he does so for a holy purpose, he sanctifies the material" Holy materials? How is it a "holy purpose"? How about a golden calf? I can make holy materials? So if I eat meat it would be evil unless I did it for a "holy purpose" and made the meat "holy"? Next I will have to get the broom from the wicked witch from the west. hahahaha - see post #40 Assur!!!! Degrading Israel seems to be the sole purpose of this peh of theirs. You know what I say: Meat is a blessing rejoice Israel in the blessing that G-d has given you and come together at Peasch and remember the hurried exodus with staff in hand loins girded rushing the meal without levened bread - AS COMMANDED! Don't feel fantasy guilt that you are merciless (unless you are) or that some how the tastly morsels G-d has gifted you with prove you are a low level shard of energy eating a sinfully good hunk of lamb. Dai maspik! Rejoice! Hag Pesach smaech!

As president of Jewish Vegetarians of North America, I find such articles interesting. But, I continue to wonder how Rabbi Lior and much of the Jewish community can continue to generally be in denial of some important facts: * The production and consumption of meat and other animal products arguably violate basic Jewish mandates to preserve our health, treat animals with compassion, protect the environment, conserve natural resources, help hungry people and pursue peace. * Animal-based diets are contributing to an epidemic of hear disease, various types of cancer and other chronic degenerative diseases in the Jewish and other communities. * Animal-based agriculture emits more greenhouse gases (in CO2 equivalents) than all the cars and other means of transportation worldwide combined (18% vs. 13.5%) and also contributes substantially to many other environmental threats. * At a time when an estimated 20 million people are dying of hunger and its effects, 70% of the grain produced in the US is fed to animals destined for slaughter. During this “Century of Drought, with billions of people lckinfg access to clean water, a typical animal-based diet requires up to 14 times as much water as a vegan diet. When will the Jewish community start addressing the many moral issues related to animal-based diets? Time for a dialog/debate on "Should Jews Be Vegetarians?" For more information, please see my over 140 articles and 25 podcasts at JewishVeg.com/schwartz and see our documentary "A Sacred Duty: Applying Jewish Values to Help Heal the World" at ASacredDuty.com. Thanks Kudos to Tom Friedman for this very insightful article