By Rabbi Uriel Vigler – Director of Chabad Israel Center of the Upper East Side of Manhattan
Dear Isaiah,
The internet has been abuzz with your story all week. Millions of people worldwide watched the video of you being dragged across a moat by Harambe, the 450-pound gorilla.
I am not sure how, at three years old, you managed to climb over a 3-foot high railing, walk through bushes and then jump 15 feet into a shallow moat, but hey, you did it!
VIDEO: Viewer discretion advised
I must say, I love gorillas. I was born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa, and every year during vacation our family would spend a few days at the Kruger National Park enjoying the lions, cheetah, gorillas etc. As a result, I developed a deep love for animals. And so your story touched my heart, as it touched millions of others across the globe.
To save your life, Cincinnati Zoo officials shot and killed their beloved Harambe. Thank G-d you came out safe.
The incident ignited nationwide uproar, some criticizing the zoo’s decision to kill the gorilla instead of using other means such as a tranquilizer, and others pointing fingers at your mother.
Really, it all boils down to whose life is more important. Yours or Harambe’s? A 3-year-old little boy, or a 17-year-old almost-extinct gorilla?
The answer, Isaiah, depends on you. As humans, we are different from animals in a unique way—we have the ability to make our minds rule over our hearts. That means we can use our rationale to temper and control our emotions and desires. If we feel hatred in our hearts, for example, we can use our minds to transform that into feelings of love. If we see something we really want, but doesn’t belong to us, we can use our heads to overcome that temptation.
A gorilla, on the other hand, cannot do this. Animals are ruled by instinct. They need to eat, they eat. They need to sleep, they sleep. They need to kill, they kill. A gorilla, like all animals, is ruled by his nature and cannot transcend it.
And so, Isaiah, if you grow up and perform acts of goodness and kindness, then you are much greater than the gorilla. If you live your life by using your mind to rule your heart, your life is infinitely more worthwhile than the gorilla’s.
You see, when G-d created the world, he created animals before humans. Why?
If man rises above his ego, we say, “Look, you were created last, like a king. Everything else was created for you, ready for the moment you came into existence.” But if a person acts inappropriately, we say, “Look, even animals are better than you—they were created first!”
So, Isaiah, what kind of life will you live? If you make the right choices, you will forever silence the critics who think the gorilla’s life was more important than yours. It’s up to you.
Wishing you a productive life,
Rabbi Uriel Vigler
According to chazal (just open a Tanya), a person is indeed lower than an animal if he does not fulfill his Gd given potential for a life connected to the HaKadosh Baruch Hu. The only reason the had to be saved is because he has the POTENTIAL of living an spiritually meaningful life
yes I agree hundred percent beautiful letter
Very touched by your letter. Thanks for the time and thought you put into writing and sharing it with us.
Comment #19 was directed “to” Citizen Berel. My mistake.
Regardless of his potential a human’s life should always come first. Trying to rationalize this, is giving this poor kid a heavy burden to bear. If he grows up to be just another average joe, this article implies that then killing the gorilla was not for the greater good.
I get what your intentions were, just not well executed. Enough on the subject, no one was killed other than animal, which the agricultural industry kills millions a year in more horrific ways, yet no op ends on the subject
Only the first comment on this thread issued forth from the great and wonderful Citizen Berel. Please be advised that any comment appearing henceforth under this name was not written by the original CB.
Rabbi Vigler is correct. All the PETA and Tree Huggers that do not agree are clueless. The ape also has a neshomo (not at the level of adam).
So the message is very clear: was it worth it to kill this animal to same the boy? If the boy grows up to be a good decent human being then the answer is clearly Yes, but if not then it is open to debate.
no animals were harmed in the writing of this op ed
From Samech Vov un Ayen Beins to Melukat to Sichos to
this “The answer, Isaiah, depends on you”
Our best and brightest, sure…
Beautiful piece.
Well said.
Could have left out the condition of whether he will lead a life of goodness and kindness, but mentioning it does encourage to do just that.
Yaasher Koach!
Thank you for taking the time to write this, and especially for pointing out that we are only higher than an animal when we act as a human should.
I sure hope this child’s gets the message and lives like a mentch
Nicely written and makes a great point!
So much always well written such a simplicity so much possible thought and to have a life inspiring outcome!
So inspiring!
Like👍
Dear Rabbi Vigler,
Your letter is written very clear and informative and with specific instructions on how to live as a human should live and how to behave with morals and ethics.
I hope your letter will get as much exposure as the little boy and the gorilla got.
B.B.G.
thanks for using this episode to teach and inspire. this letter will surely touch the parents and many others in a profound way. well done!
To think of it as an apportunity to inspire this child! Kol hacavod!
this letter is for everyone, realy to the point,
Thank you very much
YB
Isiah has to be open to judgement by you or others as to whether the life he chooses is, in anyone else’s opinion, more worthy than a gorilla? Regardless of how Isiah chooses to live, his life is worth saving. And regardless of how Isiah might live or anyone trapped by a gorilla has lived or may live his life, they deserve all efforts to save them. And BECAUSE the gorilla has little choice in his actions, we humans should consider ways to save Isiah without killing the gorilla, if possible. But I’m not going to judge those who had… Read more »
Very beautiful letter
This all looks very sensationalist to me, what if he doesn’t grow up to be a good guy? Are you saying if we would have known that in advance, we shouldn’t have killed the gorilla? A human life is sacred regardless.
What is the point of this article?
Whether or not he lives a life of goodness and kindness, his life is still worth more than the gorilla’s
Completely pointless piece.
Literaly the entire world is talking about this Gorilla. Its crazy to think of the sick world we live in where thousands and thousands of people are upset that an animal was killed, when a young childs life was in danger. However the boy fell in, parents fault or not, thats a seperate story. But once inside, his life was in danger, the animal could have sat on the kid or drowned him in a moment. Im surprised it took so long. Probably if the boy died it would be small news, accident at zoo….anyway little boy, glad your alive… Read more »
Even if he grows up and does not perform acts of goodness and kindness, he needs to be saved at the expense of a gorilla. Perhaps the sentiment in the article is something that Hashem may say. However, as a fellow human, created in the image of Hashem we should not express ourselves to each other in this manner. This reminds me when the Rebbe asked someone where is Moshiach already and the guy responded with the verse “Today! – If you listen to my voice” The Rebbe responded that the “condition” in the verse is for Hashem to give.… Read more »
suppose this boys family reads this. you wrote ” if you grow up and perform acts of goodness and kindness, then you are much greater than the gorilla.” however this can be interpreted to mean that IF you dont grow up to do acts of goodness and kindness then no your life wasnt worth much more than the life of a gorilla! This is wrong. Whether he grows up to be a kind person or not his life will always be worth more than that of an animal simply because he is a human being. and he will always have… Read more »
No matter how he uses his life, a human’s life is more important than an animal’s.