The final section of this week’s Torah reading deals with prohibited relationships, one of which is between a man and a beast. The upshot is that the man is executed and the animal is also killed.
Ibn Ezra (20:15) explains why the animal is destroyed – “People looking at the animal will be reminded that a human being committed a sexual act with it (see Mishnah, Sanherdin 7:4), ‘Lest the beast should go through the market and people say, this is the beast by reason of which so and so was stoned.’”
The Torah is concerned that people will see the animal which was used in a sinful act walking around unscathed.
But why should we care that the animal was used in a sin?
Commentators explain that human nature is such that when we see something bad happen, we are initially outraged but eventually the shock wears away when the object or concept continually appears. It gets to the point that it becomes de jure and acceptable behaviour.
Think claims that men can get pregnant, or that savage terrorists are really victims as current examples.
Continually seeing the animal used in an act of bestiality wandering the streets will have the long term effect of degrading societal morals. Therefore the animal needs to be destroyed.
MARKETING COMPANIES learned long ago that the success of a campaign is based on repetition, not on the cleverness of the message. Repeated enough times, the advert gets in (like this chalk!).
The same applies to aberrant behaviour. Through repetition, it becomes acceptable and even desirable.
The only solution is to nip the behaviour in the bud.
