Today most of mankind has forgotten this great lesson. And that’s why today the donkey is already catching up with us! And I’m afraid he’s going ahead of us already because what human beings are doing today under the inspiration of the New York Times are things that a donkey wouldn’t stoop to do. A lot of humans have become worse than donkeys.
But we follow the principles of the Torah! Derech eretz has a number of principles, but one of the chief principles of derech eretz is to demonstrate that you are different, to demonstrate that you have tzelem Elokim.
And therefore if someone were to pick up from the table a loaf of bread and take a bite from the loaf, it’s an infringement on this principle of tzelem Elokim. You cut off a piece to size, that’s all. You can’t hold a very big hunk of bread in your hand like a helpless animal and eat from the whole thing. You can’t bend over and nibble from the loaf like a beheimah.
