Q&A: Gary Yourofsky
Gary Yourofsky
Question
Hello. I would be interested to know what the Rabbi thinks about Gary Yourofsky. He keeps coming back here and repeatedly drawing a comparison between the value of human beings and the value of animals—is that acceptable to the Rabbi? And if not, why?
https://youtu.be/rrs2YW0L0js
Answer
I didn’t listen, but I’m generally familiar with his views. He is one of those who go overboard, the kind Rabbi Kook was concerned about. His words undermine his own goals. In order to improve the treatment of animals, he erases the differences between them and human beings. In my view, that is simplistic and foolish. There is absolutely no need to erase that difference in order to argue for a moral attitude toward animals.