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Why are animals in the Torah (תורה) punished and rewarded as if they have free choice? Animals have one crucial choice - to remain faithful to their created identity and characteristics. This principle applies even more strongly to humans, who must be true to their fundamental identity before making moral choices.
Rabbi Zweig addresses a fundamental question that emerges from several Torah (תורה) narratives: How can animals be held morally accountable when they lack free choice? The Torah describes the snake being punished in Eden, animals being destroyed in the flood for moral corruption, and dogs being rewarded for not barking during the Exodus. This seems contradictory since moral responsibility requires free choice, which is supposedly unique to humans. The resolution comes through a fascinating Gemara (גמרא) in Chulin 61a, which states that all animals were created with God's consultation - they were asked what characteristics they wanted and had to agree to their form. Rashi (רש"י) explains this means animals chose their defining traits and were comfortable with their creation. This establishes that while animals cannot make moral choices, they do have one fundamental choice: whether to remain true to their created identity and nature.
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