Most people believe that preying on the weak for food is the true nature of wild animals.

But history is telling us otherwise.

The Torah teaches that at creation, both humans and animals were herbivorous, sustaining themselves solely on plants.

Since this was the default setting of the natural order, how did these peaceful creatures transform into wild predators?

If powerful creatures had been created carnivorous, how could Adam and Chava have survived while surrounded by apex predators? How could Adam calmly name a hungry lion that regarded him as its next meal?

And why would the Creator establish a natural order that would destroy what He built in the first place?

So, who taught them to kill for food?

These questions reveal an important relationship between humanity and the animal kingdom: Animals Mirror.

Adam: The Meaning of Ruling

At the beginning of creation, the Creator appointed Adam to rule over the animal kingdom.

But how could Adam rule over lions stronger than himself, massive elephants, eagles beyond his reach, or whales living in an entirely different world?

Impossible.

So, why would the Creator appoint Adam to do the impossible?

The deeper meaning of ruling is being a role model. A leader does not necessarily control others through physical strength; he leads by example.

The Creator appointed Adam to rule over the animal kingdom, knowing animals mirror his nature; otherwise, it would be impossible to lead them through his physical strength.

In other words, the Creator appointed Adam to rule over his own nature to rule the animal kingdom.

The Creator conveyed to Adam that animals are capable of learning from and following his example.

By bringing the animals before Adam, the Creator introduced him to behaviors that reflected aspects of his own nature. By naming them, Adam demonstrated that he recognized those behaviors.

Each animal reflected a part of his inner nature.

This was evident when Adam named the dog “K'lev,” which in Hebrew means “Like the Heart.”

The name was profoundly accurate since dogs reflect the love, loyalty, and curiosity of the human heart.

Adam could identify and name an animal because he recognized a part of his own nature reflected in its behavior.

Therefore, when we change a certain behavior, affected animals learn and mirror that change.

Cause & Effect: The Warning

In the companion article “Cause & Effect,” I explain how the forbidden fruit represented the consequences of human decisions and the responsibility that comes with the power to choose.

Nature embodies the feminine aspect of creation—the mother of all living beings. As the feminine, she is attracted to human leadership and follows its example.

Human behavior becomes the cause; nature's response becomes the effect.

Because nature learns and follows, the Creator warned Adam and Chava not to eat the forbidden fruit. He knew that if they failed or behaved weakly, nature would follow their example and ultimately be doomed.

This is the law of “Cause & Effect,” which leads to the principle of “Animals Mirror.”

Noah: How Animals Became Predators

The Torah describes Noah's ark as a refuge for preserving living creatures during the Flood.

Every creature lived on stored plants.

If lions, wolves, and other powerful creatures had been predators, how could Noah and his family have safely brought them into the ark, lived alongside them, and released them without endangering themselves or the other animals?

If these animals had been carnivorous, how could Noah have preserved enough meat to feed them throughout their time aboard the ark?

And if apex predators had depended on killing animals for food, how could the survivors, with only two of each, have multiplied and recovered?

Together, these questions reinforce the Torah's description of animals originally living on plants.

After the Flood, the Creator permitted Noah to eat meat.

But was this permission a concession—or a test?

The Creator built the world on the principle of mutual benefit; otherwise, it would not be a fair creation.

How could this permission be a concession when it offered no mutual benefit?

How could it be a concession when the Creator knew animals would mirror Noah and begin killing for food?

After all, He was the one who had warned Adam and Chava not to act weakly because nature learns and follows.

So, how could it be a concession?

Therefore, His permission was not a compromise—it was a profound moral test.

Noah had never tasted meat before and had no established craving for it. He did not need to experiment with a new taste at the cost of immorality. Yet the man entrusted with preserving animal life chose to kill for food, changing his own nature.

Because Noah changed his nature, the animals also changed theirs.

Powerful creatures learned from and imitated his behavior; predatory instincts awakened in animals that had originally sustained themselves on plants.

Noah's change was the cause; the animals' change was the effect.

Animals that should have been multiplying after the Flood now faced predators, disrupting the original principle of mutual benefit and threatening their ability to reproduce and flourish.

Because Noah failed his moral test, Divine justice stepped in, and he faced karmic consequences through his son, experiencing a parallel struggle in his own ability to multiply and flourish.

The lesson is that CAN does not mean SHOULD, even if the Creator said we CAN. Having power over the weak does not justify exploiting it.

However, animals do not only mirror our destructive behavior. They also reflect our extraordinary abilities.

Bilaam: Who taught the Donkey to talk?

The story of Bilaam's donkey presents another fascinating example of animals mirroring human nature.

The donkey speaks.

But how could an animal learn a human language?

Animals Mirror.

Bilaam possessed an extraordinary power of speech; the donkey learned and followed that ability.

The angel opened the donkey's mouth, but it was Bilaam's extraordinary power of speech that the donkey reflected.

Look Around—Animals Mirror Us!

The examples are not limited to Torah stories.

When humans invade territories and disregard boundaries, animals also enter our cities.

When humans betray their partners, we find infidelity among animals, even in species known for forming lasting bonds.

When humans engage in same-sex sexual behavior, we also observe it in numerous animal species.

Even fire offers a striking parallel: certain birds of prey have been reported carrying burning sticks to spread fire and flush out fleeing prey.

From aggression and territorial invasion to affection, loyalty, and extraordinary abilities, animals reflect aspects of human nature.

Restoring the Original Natural Order

We are in a relationship with nature.

The Creator appointed humanity to lead the natural world, and that leadership carries consequences; we cannot separate what we do from what nature becomes.

Animals are a powerful mirror through which we can examine our own conduct.

Nature is our best teacher.

When we witness animals behaving in ways that trouble us, we should examine what our own actions may be teaching them.

And the first responsibility of a leader is to set the example.

Since animals became predators by following humanity's example, restoring the original natural order begins with changing that example.

Just as animals became carnivores because of us, they can become herbivores once again.

If we want a world guided by compassion rather than exploitation, we must begin by changing the way we exercise our own power.

Because when we change our nature, nature changes for us.

Therefore, if we have the power to change nature, then nature is not simply a reflection—it is a part of us.

Nature is our nature.

— Bahram Cohanfard