Shabbat Shalom Achim v'Achiyot Sheli,

I hope you are all well on this fine Shabbat evening (U.S.). As for the rest of you that are not in the U.S.....well no one cares how you are...haha jk. In all seriousness I hope that you are all having a blessed Shabbat whatever time it may be. Tonight, I got to thinking about Yitz and his love for game meat and Edom's passion for the hunt. My question as it pertains to Torah faithfulness and application is about hunting and fishing. What are peoples positions on this? Is hunting forbidden? Should we only consume domesticated clean animals that have been killed with a clean swipe of the neck? Or is it only reasonable that YHWH expected that the most likely way a person would even have an animal such as a deer or a gazelle to eat is through hunting and therefore it is allowed. I have my thoughts and ideas but I would like to hear from my brothers and sisters on the forum. One thing I will say that even if hunting is justified, I do not believe that justifies Edom's behavior or mindset. I believe he took hunting far beyond subsistence. As for fishing, I think that anyway you can catch the fish is alright, whether it be by net or by hook as long as you don't mess about and prolong the suffering and struggle that the fish has to go through. I am dead set against catch and release and I think it is a tasteless practice....literally....haha...I got that as I wrote it. I read a study once where up to 40 percent of fish die that are caught by catch and release due to exhaustion, shock, and prolonged asphixiation. Now if of course the fish is too small and you can quickly release it and ensure a quick catch as not to induce exhaustion, I believe that it is appropriate to release...if the little bugger swallows the hook or there are other difficulties...at least take it home and give your cats a rare treat...or even bury it in the compost pile. In all honesty I do think that netting fish is the best method, but I do think that it poses too many practical challenges to overcome for most anglers. I hope I don't sound like a PETA tard, but I tell you one thing, ever since I put my trust in Yah, I have a lot more respect for all His creatures. Please leave your thoughts.

shalom82

Hi, I hunt and fish. In fact I seem to do alot of hunting. I enjoy being out in the wilderness yah's creation but I have'nt killed anything in a long time, not that I could'nt. I Think the Skill is in The Kill. I don't think I have the skill that the hunters of old had I'm shure thay were quite practiced. The real question I have is . How can you get all the blood out of the meat? Thier always seems to be a some blood left, even in the meat you buy at the store.

Shalom Chaverim,

CK, what you said about slaughterhouses got me thinking. They are nasty, horrible, brutish places. Once again I reiterate that I am not against eating meat and I catch fish and eat them...as YHWH's good grace and my limited knack for the endeavor allows. But, I have to say that slaughter houses are truly terrible. A lot of the animals that are brought in for slaughter are atrophied and not even able to stand by their own strength. They often are injured in overstuffed transport, and animals with gaping infections and injuries are considered fit for slaughter. They are stuffed into crowded pens, once again where there is the chance for injury due to overcrowding. Often times these animals are raised on commercial farms that have nothing in mind but profit and market demands. The animals completely lack stimulation or any semblance of a natural lifestyle and often go crazy in their cramped unattural and cruel confines. Then they go to slaughter in bloody death factories that take all of the gravity out of what is taking place. Poultry have an especially miserable existence, due to commercial demands. I know I sound like a Peta-Tard...but I guess I have just really had a change of heart. An animal already has to go through enough for our subsistance, can it not have a little joy in life and dignity in death?

I saw these cows the other day on a farm on down the road from us. These brutes were Beef Cattle. They were fat and sleek and strong. They were eating this amazingly lush grass in a pasture that was almost devoid of weeds. The farmer obviously practiced good pasture rotation. These cows were HEALTHY. You could see their coats shining in the late afternoon sun while driving 55 miles an hour down the highway. I just can't describe to you how healthy and contented these cows looked. The young calves were securely beside their mothers and I bet if they could talk, those cows would have said their life was copacetic. These were prize cattle. And they were obviously the apples of that farmer's eye. There were about 15 or so head, a modest holding...but as I have tried to make it obvious...a holding of the highest quality. That farmer I admit probably did not personally slaughter his own cattle, but he treated them with obvious love and care and at least gave them a good life. As many know I am an upstart orchardist and produce farmer, but if this feeling of conscience keeps nagging at me, I may have to get some chicks and goats and a few head of cattle, because I can hardly bare to think of where my meat is coming from anymore...so much so that I may have to get over my squeamishness about killing an animal in such an up close and personal matter. I know I am not going to stop eating meat...but my hypocrisy only goes so far. I am not trying to judge anybody or convince anybody for that matter....just speaking out of my own heart.

Shalom