They Revere Horses, Don't They?

We in our family love animals very much. We have seven of them! However, idealizing any animals to the point of extremes over our own brothers and sisters IS wrong. Animals are truly a reminder for us of the imagination of G-d. For this...we should be thankful and feel blessed.

You said it well!!!!

Rabbi Solomon touches on one glaring example of how society's values are 'skewed'. Things can change...Jimmy Carter is no hero any more, but what we define as hero has to stay constant. "Horse sense" doesn't replace universally accepted values.

As a renowned animal-lover and rescuer, not only do I agree 100% with Rabbi Solomon, but I would ratchet this all up much higher.
Barbaro was not a hero. This horse was one of 100's of 1000's who are whipped beyond what God intended for them----all for monetary purposes. The following is a recipe for disaster:
animals
+men
+money=disaster
Horse-racing has caused thousands of horses to break down on the track like Barbaro. You just don't hear about it. Then people who purport to love horses bewail them as "great heros", romanticizing them. This does not help horses. Horses are only mute beasts being pushed beyond their endurance for money. The horse has no comprehension that all this fanfare is swirling around it, and "what it's all about". The people that Rabbi Solomon is talking about, rather than being sad, should be angrily demanding an end to horseracing. By the way, Israel is planning to destroy a large chunk of the Negev to build a racecourse.

I agree whole-heartedly with your eloquent statement.Surprisingly,so far other people's comments are also in agreement. I have long wondered why it is that 'American Society' equates animals with humans? If they are equal and a star quarterback or basketball player can be called a hero - why not an animal? The Torah advises us that man (not animals) was created in the image of G-d (Tzelem Elokim). Would society recognize that - it would go a long way to addressing some of the problems we face today as a nation. P.S. Perhaps you would like to tackle the hero-worship of sports stars next?

Thank you. All to often the term hero is overused. The overuse in turn detracts fom those who truly are heroes, those who knwingl act, at personal risk, to help others.

I could not agree more! Nowadays, the greatest words we have are always overused. Besides the word "hero" being overused, the words "love", and "hate" and many others are as well. I am proud that someone finally had the courage to stand up and say, "He may have been remarkable, but he was just a horse." Thank you!

Certainly, public fascination with Barbaro is over the top. However, I find it ironic that a rabbi speaks about the importance of addressing human issues. He's talking about a horse while tanks fire on women and children in Beit Hanoun. Shouldn't he focus on these human catastrophes.

This is another example of the media creating excitment over something that most people have no interest in. If it were not for the news coverage no one, except the owners and trainers, would even remember this horse's name. The media turns ordinary people into superstars. Now it's doing the same thing with a horse.

Indeed, the Rabbi orated a perfect essay. Slam dunk accurate as a very good response to those that elevate Barbaro to hero status. No, there is no question about it. While a horse can be a hero when he drags a wounded rider to safety, a race horse -- even one as great as Barbaro, is not a hero. There ain't anything to think about; Rabbi Salomon said it exactly right.

In a manner of speaking, I do "revere" horses, but I agree, it's sad and puzzling that Barbaro was mourned as a hero. Not only is there something about horses that suggests nobility, but up until our modern age, the horse was an incredibly useful tool in war and in peace as well as a creature of great beauty. Unfortunately, the reason Barbaro was so valuable is that he was an integral part of America's shameful gambling industry. That's right -- he was a "hero" for the cause of sin! The world just likes to, uh, put the cart before the horse -- so to speak.

a society who is lost and so self centered that it doesn't distinguish between human life value and animal life value? G-d let them down? sounds so Roman!!! their gods always let them down... but in Jewish life, it is very clear: There's nothing to think about; if there is, it must be our own need to study MORE Torah and learn about these issues from a Torah perspective. And I still wouldn't say that this horse had more value than other animals just because it made 2 million dollars to its owners. People should turn off their t.v.s. A meaningful world would open up to them.