Genesis

בייה

Are you a vegetarian? Have you tried to live as a vegetarian? The Hebrew Scriptures teach that there is an interesting parallel between vegetarian living, peace, safety, security, and lovingkindness on earth. We will discuss the correlation between eating right and living right. Every being in our world was a vegetarian for the first one-thousand-six-hundred-fifty-seven years. (Genesis 1.29 – 30) Says, ‘And God Said, ‘Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, on which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you, it shall be for food. And to every beast of the earth, every bird of the air, and everything that creeps upon the earth, where there is life, I have given every green herb for food; it was so.’Then, even though humankind was created with free will, there was no need to choose. Everything was easy. There were only good choices.

The vegetarian bounty God Created for us provided for a feast of berries, nuts, pecans, cashews, pistachios, fruits, roots, seeds, sunflower seeds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, grains, wheat, barley, oats, spelt, vegetables, corn, potatoes, carrots, beets, radishes, herbs, apples, oranges, peaches, olives, avocados, plums, mangos, and grasses were the only foods eaten by all living beings from creation until after the flood. What were the results?

Our world was NOT toxic, rivers were not poisoned with chemicals, and our oxygen was not polluted. Our world was in harmony. Everything in our universe was part of a divine plan. All creation was in perfect balance and synchronized. All aspects of our universe were clean, pure, and fresh. (Ecclesiastics 3.11) Says, ‘He has made everything beautiful in his time; also He has set the mystery of the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work which God has made from the beginning to the end.’

A world at peace does not murder anyone or anything under any circumstance. There were no wars. For a short time, there were no weapons. The intention was that a world at peace did not need weapons. The Holy Scripture Records the murder of Hevel/Abel in Genesis 4.9 and the murder of Kayin/Cain and Tubal Cain in (Genesis 4.23). Murder is heinous. Yet, [The] Lord God did not execute these violent men at that time. He did not have them imprisoned, yet they were punished.

There were no abortions or miscarriages. Hunting animals, for any reason, was forbidden. (Genesis 9.5-6) Says, ‘And surely the blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require man’s life. Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God, He Made man.’ So neither Adam, Kayin/Cain or Hevel/Abel offered burnt animal sacrifices to [The] Lord. Clams, shrimp, crabs, octopus, et cetera were forbidden. Baked turkey, roasted duck, fried chicken, and all birds were prohibited. Steaks, ribs, chops, back straps, etc., were forbidden. There were many other tasty foods to eat.

I have lived as a vegetarian. It is a relatively easy life to enjoy. There are so many excellent kosher vegetarian products available. Yet, there was a time when being a vegetarian in the observant Jewish Community was pretty much unheard of. Back then, just about everyone in the Jewish Community were meat-eaters. However, over the past few decades, Jews have begun returning to a vegetarian life for health reasons.

On one occasion during the interim days of Sukkot, i.e., The Festival of Tabernacles, a couple of Jews invited a few members from the meat-eating community – SMILE – for a Sukkot meal celebration without mentioning they were vegetarians. There was an array of wine, Bourbon, Vodka, Liqueur, Slovakia Plum Brandy, coffee, tea, juice, soft drinks, and ice water with a twist of lime. They served challah with a slice of apple and honey. Each place setting was a leaf of lettuce, a portion of carrot, a generous helping of gefilte fish, and homemade horseradish. They baked the main dishes: apple nut noodle kugel, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, and asparagus. The spread was lovely.

After the Blessing on the wine and bread, they enjoyed some gefilte fish with a healthy drink. Everyone continued sitting around the Sukkah table, talking and drinking. At the same time, a unique look began developing on the guest’s faces that expressed a question, ‘Where’s The Meat?’ Suddenly, laughter erupted throughout the Sukkah when the host served a little from each vegetarian dish. They had a joyful and pleasant vegetarian meal.

What do The Holy Scriptures share regarding vegetarian living during the first 1,657 years of life on earth? First, Genesis 1.1 – 9.23 covers the six creation periods up to 1,657 years. People did not age or experience any sickness, illness, or disease. The atmosphere was balmy and comfortable. There were no storms, violent winds, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, typhoons, or monsoon-type downpours.

Our focus in (Genesis 9) is the transition from a world of vegetarians to a world that became meat, poultry, and fish eaters. Our world went through a transition of good to evil. The atmosphere changed. Temperatures changed. The disposition of humans changed. God permitted humans to kill animals for sacrifice and food under specific instances. Animals were allowed to prey upon each other. The peaceful times of living in and enjoying a vegetarian world’s fruits were gone. Yet, we can practice these extraordinary friendly values of a vegetarian world in our age. It is something for us to consider.

A lack of self-control began developing. Men began stealing/kidnapping women who were married… (Genesis 6.2) Says that ‘[The wicked ones] took whomever they chose for a wife.’ They were self-indulgent! No one restrained their lustful sexual desires. (Genesis 6.5) reminds us that ‘God Saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.’God determined that this wickedness must come to an end, so He destroyed the world. (Genesis 8.12) Says that ‘Noach built an altar to [The] Lord, took every clean beast, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on The Altar.’ Holy Scripture is clear. Noah offered the first burnt sacrifices on the altar. They were from clean animals and birds. The clean animals and birds are pure and kosher.

The generations before the flood were wicked. Chamas are wicked terrorists. NOWHERE in Holy Scriptures does the Holy God of creation permit such unrestrained barbaric wickedness. Chamas will be rooted up and entirely destroyed. Who is responsible for the evil in the Mideast region? It is the accursed descendants of Ham/Canaan. The Canaanites have NO CLAIM to the Land of Israel!! The Land of Israel was given to the descendants of Shem, aka Melchizedek. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph are the descendants of Shem. Yet, (Genesis 25.1) Says, ‘Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac.’Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob/Israel. Jacob was the son of promise. Esau left Canaan to dwell on Mt Seir. (Genesis 36.6-9). There is a vast difference between Ishmael’s and Jacob’s descendants from the accursed descendants of Ham/Canaan.

Some Muslim people/nations are the descendants of Abraham’s older son Ishmael. The Torah Says, ‘Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham; They are our relatives who worship One God, the creator of the universe. They want peace with us, and we want peace with them. Yet, (Genesis 15.18) reminds us that ‘[the] Lord made a covenant with Abraham, saying, ‘To your seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.’ (Genesis 17.19-21) Says, ‘And God Said, Sarah, your wife shall bear you a son indeed; and you shall call his name Isaac, and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you; Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he father, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time in the next year.’ (Genesis 21.18) Says, ‘[An Angel of God said to Hagar], ‘Arise, lift the lad, and hold him in your hand, for I will make him a great nation.’ This promise has come to pass. Ishmael is a great nation.’

All creation will again return to a vegetarian life, according to (Isaiah 11). All evil will be rooted out. Scripture Says, ‘The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the young lion, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of [the ]Lord, as the waters cover the sea.’

Good Sabbath and A Happy Joyful Chanukkah.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk

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