Parshas Re’eh
“And you shall not eat the soul together with the flesh” (Devarim 12,23)
It is a negative commandment not to eat the limb of a live animal. This refers to a limb which was cut off a living creature whilst it was alive. Concerning this it says “And you shall not eat the soul together with the flesh”.
Amongst the roots of the commandment, we should not teach ourselves the trait of cruelty which is an extremely despicable character trait. In truth, there is no greater cruelty in the world than that of cutting off a limb or flesh from a living creature whilst it is still alive before you, and then eating it. I have already written a number of times about the great purpose that exists in the acquisition of good character traits and in distancing ourselves from bad character traits for the good will cleave to the good. The good G-d desires to do good and therefore has commanded his people to choose the good.
This prohibition applies in every place, at every time, to men and to women and one who transgresses this and eats the limb of a living animal or an olive sized piece of it, is penalised with lashes (malkus).
This is one of the seven Noahide commandments, which means that they obligate all of mankind, even non-Jews.
