Jewish Law has its basis in a value system, and at the core of that value system is a reverence for life. That gives rise to the prohibition against needless destruction, bal tashchit, which has many surprising practical applications. From the environment to medicine to vegetarianism, Rabbi Wein confronts modern issues and shows how our respect for the physical world is actually the measure of our spirituality.

• the Jewish prohibition against cruelty to animals
• Rav Kook on vegetarianism
• prayer vs. medical intervention – the right balance
• hunting and fishing in Jewish Law