Animal Writings

Jewish prayer for wine: "Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine."

Jewish prayer for bread and grains: "Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth."

Jewish prayer for fruit and nuts: "Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the tree."

Jewish prayer for vegetables, herbs, and legumes: "Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the earth."

Jewish prayer for meat: none.

God imposes on Noah a littany of conditions for eating flesh, including one that may be impossible to meet: draining all the blood from the animal. And he did this after the earth had been flooded and food was scarce. In contrast, God freely encourages us to eat fruits, vegetables, and grains: "Behold I have given you every herb yielding seed which is upon the face of the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed--to you it shall be for food". Shortly after this invitation, God delares the world He had made "very good."

Have a very good Thanksgiving. Be thankful for your ability to make the world a more liveable, compassionate, peaceful place — for all creatures.