What I’m about to say may surprise you, given that I am a rabbi who keeps strictly kosher in accordance with the Orthodox halakha I live my life by, but sadly, the current state of kosher eating (“ka…

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Every dog owner knows the unique joy of having a dog and the profound grief that follows when that beloved companion dies. Last year, my dog Ozzie died suddenly and tragically. He wasn’t just a pet; he was family. His death left a void, and I found myself pondering a question I believe many of us have asked: Do dogs go to heaven?

Ozzie isn’t replaceable. His personality, quirks, and boundless energy were uniquely his, just as every human being is unique. When we lose people, we remember their souls- their essence, the way they made us feel. Physical features fade from memory, but the intangible spark that made them who they were lingers. This essence, this energy, is what we call a soul, or neshamah in Hebrew.

It seems somewhat obvious that humans have a soul; all you need to do is interact with people to sense it. Judaism teaches us that we have a soul, first given to Adam when “G‑d breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” We are also taught that this soul goes to heaven when we die, as Abraham “gathered with his people” after he had died, a reference to the afterlife. While humans possess a more divine soul than animals, G-d is also shown to have given animals the breath of life, even before humans were created. So if my dog has a soul, no matter how different from a human soul, does he go to heaven?

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Unveiling the Torah’s Vegan Blueprint

We all strive to look and feel our best, but did you know that in Judaism, health is a non-negotiable? Judaism places a premium on well-being. From Kashrut, to foundational Torah teachings and rabbinic interpretations, health and longevity are deeply embedded in Jewish tradition. The Torah explicitly commands:

“But you shall guard your soul diligently.” (Deuteronomy 4:9)¹

Sages through generations see this as an obligation to protect one’s health, emphasizing that neglecting health is tantamount to neglecting one’s soul. After all, your body is a gift from Hashem, and you need it to carry out all the good things you’re meant to do—like studying Torah, doing mitzvot, and helping the world around you.

Shmirat Haguf

We can also look closely at the concept of “guarding your soul,” known as Shmirat Haguf, which was famously championed by preeminent medieval Jewish thinker, Moses Maimonides (Rambam). One of Judaism’s greatest scholars and a renowned physician, Rambam (1138-1204), combined his knowledge of Torah and medicine to guide generations on spiritual and physical well-being.

In his Mishneh Torah, particularly Hilchot De’ot (Laws of Character Development), Rambam provided a holistic framework to health that integrates the body, mind, and soul:

“Since having a healthy and whole body is one of the ways [of serving] G-d—for it is impossible to understand or know anything of the Creator’s wisdom when one is ill—therefore, a person must distance himself from things that harm the body, and accustom himself to things that promote health and healing.” (De’ot 4:14-15)²

It’s clear that health is more than a personal choice; it’s a commandment from Hashem—a principle that continues to guide Jewish thought even today.

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by Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz

Believe it or not, Passover is right around the corner. The Pesach season can be a frantic time for everyone — and all the more so if you, your family or your guests want to have a vegan holiday. As someone who’s celebrated Passover as a vegan for 13 years, I’m here to tell you that’s all going to be okay. It can even be delicious.

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The Unstated Cost of Our Seafood Choices

The vast and intricate global fishing industry casts a long shadow across our oceans and waterways. While it provide…

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Honey holds a special place in Jewish life, symbolizing sweetness, prosperity, and divine blessings. Whether we’re dipping apples in honey or making lekach (honey cake) on Rosh Hashanah to welcome a sweet new year, or eating it with challah on Shabbat and holidays — honey is a staple ingredient that transcends the taste buds.

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As clean meat, or cultivated meat, has inched closer and closer to dinner tables, it has ignited many conversations beyond the food tech world. For Jews, many are wondering if the meat didn’t come fr…

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1. Nourishment from plants 🌿

Take a deep breath in... and slowly breathe out.

Again, breathe in... and breathe o…

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Judaism is a religion filled with customs and traditions. By participating in specific traditions for our various religious celebrations, we have managed to survive a…

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We leave the comforts of our homes to live in sukkot (huts) to humble ourselves and to reconnect with our existential core in nature. Leaving our homes to stay in a sukkah is not…

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Rosh Hashanah is coming up on the evening of Mon, Sep 22, 2025 and ends Wed, Sep 24, 2025. It’s the Jewish New Year- a time of reflection, return, and renewal. But the h…

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We are living through a profound crisis of our food system; one soaked in suffering, saturated with chemicals, and stripped of its sacredness. This systemic breakdown compels us to a…

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There are few conversations more fraught with emotional landmines than those around food. And when that food involves the lives of animals, beings with beating hearts, with families, with fear and jo…

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Tisha B’Av is coming up on August 2, 2025, the Ninth of Av. It’s considered to be the saddest day in the Jewish year, marking both the destruction of the First Temple by Baby…

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There is a clear inconsistency in how society treats animals. We all know someone who spoils their dog like a baby, only to scroll past a video of factory-farmed cows or ignore t…

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Factory farming is the single largest cause of animal suffering in the world. Not only does it kill more than 83 billion animals each year (that’s 2,632 animals every second), but it also destroys th…

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