When Adam sinned by eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, Hashem asked why he had done so in defiance of Hashem’s command. Adam pointed to Chava and said, “The woman You gave me offered it to me and I ate.” Thereupon, Hashem asked Chava why she had eaten. “The snake convinced me to eat it,” she said. Hashem then turned to the snake, and cursed it.
We learn from here the importance of giving people the chance to explain and excuse themselves, even if they aren’t so blameless. It’s a sign of respect for the tzelem Elokim, the creation which was made in Hashem’s image, to let them try to stay as pure and undamaged as they can.
However, the snake was not given this opportunity because animals are not created to be on par with humans. We are not merely upright animals. We are a completely different and loftier creation and Man’s needs are put before and above those of animals. They are here to serve us.
While we don’t unduly pain animals, if there is a need or purpose for Man, it is something that is proper to do. We must all be focused on the ethical treatment of Man, something that is often ignored.
