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Ethical ConsumptionText
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The underlying objective to refrain from tza’ar ba’alei chayim is established with a view to perfecting us that we should not acquire moral habits of cruelty and should not inflict pain gratuitously, but that we should intend to be kind and merciful even with an individual animal except in the case of need.
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For this reason, to my mind, the correct view according to the beliefs of the Torah – a view that corresponds likewise to the speculative views – is as follows: It should not be believed that all the beings exist for the sake of the existence of humans. On the contrary, all the other beings too have been intended for their own sakes and not for the sake of something else. ובגלל הדבר הזה הדעת האמיתי אצלי, לפי האמונות התוריות והנאות לדעות העיוניות, הוא, שלא יאמן בנמצאות כולם שהם מפני מציאות האדם, אבל יהיו גם כן שאר הנמצאות כולם מכוונות לעצמם, לא מפני דבר אחר.
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Pride in one's body has two components, one which is good and one which is evil. This is the evil type of bodily pride. At the time that pride grows in the heart of a person it will control him/her from the top of the head to the sole of the foot...[When pride is] in the ears - one does not listen to the words of the abject poor; in the breath of his nose - when one stands next to the poor, even upon entering their homes they seem putrid; even in speech - in speaking poorly of the righteous out of pride. גאות האדם בגופו יש בה שני חלקים: האחד - טוב, והאחד - רע. וזאת היא גאות האדם בגופו הרעה. בעת שתתגבר הגאוה בלב האדם, אז תמשול על האדם מקדקדו עד כף רגלו:
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We need to explain the reason that meat, which was forbidden to the First Man is then made permissible to Noah and his offspring. The explanation begins with the story of Cain and Abel. We must ask: Why did God not look favorably on Cain’s offering of his field produce? The answer is that Cain had grown up watching his father Adam toil and sweat to farm his land, surviving on vegetables alone as God had forbade him and his family to eat meat. Cain himself became a farmer, because he believed that there could be no distinction between the human and the animal, except in
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Anything which is necessary in order to effect a cure or for other matters does not entail a violation of the prohibition against tza’ar ba’alei haim… It is therefore permitted to pluck feathers from live geese [while they are alive] and there is no concern on account of tza’ar ba’alei haim. Nevertheless, people refrain from doing so because it constitutes an act of cruelty.
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And not only [does bal taschit apply] to trees; rather, anyone who destroys dishes, or tears clothes, or demolishes a building, or stops up a spring, or destroys food in anger-- [that person] transgresses the law of bal taschit. ולא האילנות בלבד, אלא כל המשבר כלים, וקורע בגדים,
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In the whole of nature, there is nothing purposeless, trivial or unnecessary. [Translation by M. Friedlander. Translated from Judeo-Arabic] שאין שם דבר הבל ולא דבר שחוק ולא דבר בטלה בכל פעולות הטבע
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It is prohibited to kill an animal with its young on the same day (Lev. 22: 28), in order that people should be restrained and prevented from killing the two together in such a manner that the young is slain in the sight of the mother; for the pain of the animals under such circumstances is very great. There is no difference in this case between the pain of humans and the pain of other living beings..." [AJWS translation] וכן אסר לשחוט אותו ואת בנו ביום אחד, להשמר ולהרחיק לשחוט משניהם הבן לעיני האם, כי צער בעלי חיים בזה גדול מאד, אין הפרש בין צער האדם עליו וצער שאר ב"ח,
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Twenty four things prevent repentance. ... עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה דְּבָרִים מְעַכְּבִין אֶת הַתְּשׁוּבָה... וּמֵהֶן חֲמִשָּׁה דְּבָרִים הָעוֹשֶׂה אוֹתָן אֵין חֶזְקָתוֹ לָשׁוּב מֵהֶן, לְפִי שְׁהֶן דְּבָרִים קַלִּים בְּעֵינֵי רֹב הָאָדָם, וְנִמְצָא חוֹטֶא וְהוּא יְדַמֶּה שְׁאֵין זֶה חֵטְא; וְאֵלּוּ הֶן: (א) הָאוֹכֵל מִסְּעוּדָה שְׁאֵינָהּ מַסְפֶּקֶת לִבְעָלֶיהָ--שֶׁזֶּה אֲבַק גָּזֵל, וְהוּא מְדַמֶּה שֶׁלֹּא חָטָא וְיֹאמַר כְּלוּם אָכַלְתִּי אֵלָא בִּרְשׁוּתָן.
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A mitzvah that is done by committing a transgression is not a mitzvah. Therefore, a stolen lulav, or one that was used in idol worship or that comes from a lost city is invalid [for use]. מצוה הבאה בעברה אינה מצוה, ולפיכך לולב הגזול ושל אשרה ושל עיר הנדחת פסול. 
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