I am new to Noahide learning and observance. I'm not sure if the subject of hunting has been covered on the site so I'll pose the question. Is it permissible for a Noahide to hunt if it is done with the intent to kill the animal as quickly as possible and to always eat the meat? Hunting is a long tradition in my family and is a big part of my life. We've always done it with respect for the animals and abhor trophy hunting.

This post was last modified: 02-23-2010 07:15 PM by Director Michael.

First, in regard to the hunting of animals, birds and fish (quoting from "The Divine Code," Volume I, Part 4, Chapter 7, topic 13):

"Hunting an animal is permitted only when it is necessary for human benefit, e.g., to eat the meat of the animal or use its hide or fur. Hunting merely for the sake of sport is not permitted because of the pain caused to the animal."

Those who are going to hunt, kill and butcher an animal or bird should therefore take care that the meat will be allowable to be eaten, if that is one of the purposes of the hunting. The Noahide commandment that prohibits eating "meat from a living animal" specifies that the meat is forbidden for eating if it was torn or cut from a land mammal or a bird before it was dead. For non-kosher slaughtering (including hunting), this means that the heart must have permanently stopped beating before the flesh that will be eaten is removed. There is a further restriction that the meat should not be removed before the death convulsions have stopped.

Still, there is no permission to kill or wound any creatures purposelessly, and a hunter should not cause the hunted creature unnecessary pain, beyond the pain of being hunted and killed when the intent is to use parts of the creature's body for food or other useful purposes.

This post was last modified: 04-15-2010 12:41 PM by Director Michael.

Hi
So, I do not break a noahide law when I eat fish that died from oxygen restriction when it was taken from the water, as fish are not mammals or birds.

If I go fishing myself. Is it then better to kill the fish fast by breaking its neck or knocking its head hard than to just let it die slowly from lack of oxygen? A faster kill might be less painfull and maybe it is a more ethical choice then?

Or does not the method of killing matter at all if you kill animals other than mammals and birds.

Shalom!

Niklas

This post was last modified: 02-23-2010 07:17 PM by Director Michael.

The requirement within the Noahide Code to avoid causing unnecessary pain or suffering to animals applies for all creatures, so it is not only relevant for mammals and birds. The specific Noahide Commandment that prohibits eating meat that was taken from a living animal applies only to land mammals and birds.

From "The Divine Code," Volume 1, p. 346-347, by Rabbi Moshe Weiner:

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If one wishes to kill any living creature for the purpose of eating it, he has no permission to be cruel and cause it *needless* suffering in the process... If there is a needed benefit for a person to [cause suffering] ..., it is not forbidden to do so. If not, one is obligated to kill the animal first in a less painless way, even if this takes a little extra effort, since this is not enough of an excuse to permit causing such suffering to a living creature.**
**Footnote: ... the prohibition of causing pain to an animal also exists where one kills the animal in an unnecessarily cruel way. Only where there is a necessary benefit for humans is one not obligated to take the pain caused into account, and even then it is preferable to take the pain into account.
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An example would be a fishing boat that hauls in a large number of food fish in its net. It would not be practical at all for the workers to take the extra time and effort go and kill each individual fish to shorten its suffering from suffocation, so that's not required.

But if you're fishing for yourself and catching individual fish, there are a few options. You could kill each one as soon as it is caught. But if you have practical need or benefit in keeping the fish alive for an extended time so they will stay more fresh, you could keep them in a bucket of water, or if that's not possible, they can be kept alive back in the water, strung on a clip line. (Obviously those methods will cause some stress/suffering to the fish, until they are eventually killed.)

This post was last modified: 02-23-2010 07:22 PM by Director Michael.

I'm assuming fishing for sport is prohibited (i.e., "catch and release")? I used to fish every summer, but last year I stopped because it felt pointless and cruel to cause pain and stress to fish (and the bait) if I throw it back and don't eat it.

Please see Post #2 above ,which has been edited slightly to include fishing.

This post was last modified: 04-15-2010 12:44 PM by Director Michael.

A follow up question on this topic of hunting: Although I don't hunt, most of my family hunt deer. They eat what they kill (i.e. they never kill an animal that is not used for food). Is it acceptable for me as a Noahide to eat the meat of these deer?

Yes it is acceptable, with the condition that meat for consumption shouldn't be removed from the deer before it is fully dead. The deer's heart has to be full stopped before the meat is removed.