According to the Talmud (Berachot 40a):
We know that we should always feed our animals before we, ourselves are permitted to eat. There is some general (not Talmudic) commentary that assumes that this is because the animals are kept in our charge, and therefore suffer more when left unfed even if for a while, because they have no reasoning abilities to understand that the hold up is temporary. In other words, they have no way of knowing if they will ever eat AGAIN, which is a horrible thought.

I realize most Jewish homes keep few if any pets anymore, except for those few odd ones like myself who live on a farm.

My question is this:

If we are be so careful after those creatures in our charge, is it Kosher for animals to be used for medical research in search of human life-threatening disease resolution?

Yocheved

I would think that we who have such sensitivies to animals as dictated by this principle you quote have every right to benefit from animals since we will do so in the most sensitive way possible.

Even if we know that they may have to be purposely infected with terminal, painful diseases? Like AIDS, or Tumeric cancer, etc.? I am not arguing with you, it is only that I am trying to work this out for myself.
Yocheved

Also, invasive "pure research" on them doesn't seem to be kosher, unless investigations were done in a post mortem forum.

I think we have to be careful here with the use of the word "kosher". It has a fairly precise meaning, namely that the food is fit to eat according to Jewish Law. Where it is (say) meat, then it means that the animal has been slaughtered with a proper Shechita, has been found not to have any blemishes that might render it treifa and has been gone through the kashering process of melicha [salting]. The way the animal was treated while alivehas no bearing on its kashrus.

Whether or not one should eat meat from an animal that has been mistreated is a different matter altogether. I would invite anyone to point to a Halacha that says one may not do so. For example, most of the eggs we eat (at least here in the UK) are "battery" eggs where the chickens are kept in pretty awful conditions. I have not seen anywhere that one may not eat such eggs.

As to research carried out on animals, I believe that this is permitted as it benefits humans and animals were put on Earth for our benefit.

I understand what you are saying with regard to kashrus, but we aren't talking about kashrus, as that implies food. KOSHER, on the hand is not restricted to food (see a good book called Kosher Living by Rabbi Ron Isaacs).

Otherwise we could never refer to a Torah scroll or a mezuzzah scroll as "kosher".

The word means "fit" or "proper", implying that it is appropriate for use according to Jewish law.

"Kasher" usually refers to mean food, but remember that theword is only used once in the TaNaCH in the book of Esther, where she says:
"Esther said: 'If it pleases the king, and I have found favor in his sight, and the proposal seems proper [kasher], and if I am pleasing to you-let dispatches be written to revoke the letters concocted by Haman which he has issued, ordering the destruction of the Jews in all the provinces."
--paraphrased quote--

Some Bibles read slightly differently, but the fact remains that in all of them this word is used in this context only and is the only time we see it inthe TaNaCH anywhere.

We have ceased using the word very often outside of food and that is unfortunate as there are many ways to behave, conduct business, speak, or even live in ways that are UNKOSHER.

As to the animals, I was not (again) referring to their consumption at all. I was speaking as to whether the nature of animal testing was kosher (that is FITTING, or PROPER) and I think that if it is not specifically for the curing of human diseases, that it may in fact NOT be Kosher.

I hope this clarifies my meaning.

Sincerely,
Yocheved

Also "Kosher" is the English version of "Kasher", hence the definition I provided. Excuse me for not making that connection in my argument.

I think therefore, Yocheved, that the word you should be using is "permitted" rather than "kosher". Your question is, is it permitted to use animals for research?

If you like..or fitting or proper

quote:

According to the Talmud (Berachot 40a):
We know that we should always feed our animals before we, ourselves are permitted to eat. There is some general (not Talmudic) commentary that assumes that this is because the animals are kept in our charge, and therefore suffer more when left unfed even if for a while, because they have no reasoning abilities to understand that the hold up is temporary. In other words, they have no way of knowing if they will ever eat AGAIN, which is a horrible thought.

I realize most Jewish homes keep few if any pets anymore, except for those few odd ones like myself who live on a farm.

My question is this:

If we are be so careful after those creatures in our charge, is it Kosher for animals to be used for medical research in search of human life-threatening disease resolution?

I don't think this question is yet answered. Does anyone have any Talmudic reference for this?