The question of whether or not animals have souls—and what the nature of those nonhuman souls would be—has long been discussed. Few know, however, that this issue was the subject of a complex letter written by Rabbi Shmuel, the fourth Chabad Rebbe, known as the Rebbe Maharash, in which he explains that animals, too, possess eternal souls.1

Souls Before Birth

Referencing the prophet Elijah, whose soul consciously existed—loving and fearing G‑d—even before his birth into the physical world,2 the Rebbe Maharash establishes that human souls certainly exist before being allocated a physical body, stored in what Kabbalah calls the Treasury of Souls.

Likewise, so do the souls of animals.

He argues against the misconception that animals’ souls are merely temporary spiritual energy, extinguished at death, insisting, “Even animals have an animal soul before they come to their animal bodies.”

This fascinating revelation opens the door to understanding animals not merely as part of nature, like wind or rain, but as spiritual beings whose lives can hold deeper, divine meaning.

The Eternal Nature of Animals’ Souls

The existence of animal sacrifices, explains the Rebbe Maharash, implies that animals must have lasting souls that continue after the animal’s physical death:


Through sacrifices, we elevate the soul of the animal … If there exists nothing literally to sanctify, what would be the point of animal sacrifices upon the altar?

In other words, the entire spiritual value of sacrifices hinges upon the fact that the animal possesses a genuine soul capable of elevation and eternal connection to the divine realm.

Reward and Punishment: Animals as Moral Beings

The Rebbe Maharash brings examples from Scripture to show that animals are moral beings, capable of spiritual elevation or desecration based upon their own actions.

  • The animals who behaved improperly on Noah’s Ark were spiritually punished for their immoral actions.3
  • The fish who played their role in the Exodus by respecting and aiding the Israelites received a divine reward.4
  • The lions who refused to harm Daniel were divinely rewarded for their restraint.

He also introduces a second critical aspect: the actions of humans toward animals can influence animals’ souls to an even greater degree than the animals’ own actions. This can include properly following the kosher laws, saying a blessing before consuming an animal, using the energy from that food to do a mitzvah, or simply showing kindness and compassion to animals.5 When we perform mitzvot involving animals, these acts directly sanctify and elevate the souls of the animals involved.

The Hidden Depths

When we interact with animals, we often sense they have hidden depths—intelligence, emotions, and sensitivities we are unable to fully explain.

According to the Rebbe Maharash, the spiritual makeup of animals is profoundly complex, containing elements analogous to the human animal soul:

And with all this, they cannot speak because the potential to speak does not shine from within them in a revealed manner or functional way, rather, only in a hidden or encompassing manner. However, because the speaking bird [the parrot] is an intermediate between the category of animal and the category of human beings, the ability to speak, sourced in the Shining Husk, shines from it [the parrot]. Truly, this could also be the case with all animals, except that it doesn’t glow in a revealed manner as mentioned.

He emphasizes that animals, too, possess analogous faculties such as wisdom, understanding, emotion, and reasoning, though they are often partially or fully concealed from us. For example, the donkey of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair refused to eat grain that was not tithed properly; and the Prophet Elijah’s bull argued with his owner, refusing to be given over to idolaters until being guaranteed merit by the prophet.

These examples are not mere isolated miracles, but instances revealing that animals inherently possess these qualities within their souls.

A Shared Spiritual Spectrum

All souls exist along a unified spectrum of spirituality, seamlessly connecting humans, animals, and even plants, explains the Rebbe Maharash.

But unlike humans, who possess both a G‑dly soul and an animal soul, animals possess just one soul, which appears to be on the same continuum as the human’s animal soul.

The Rebbe Maharash, quoting the Zohar, describes how some human souls, specifically the souls of spiritually undeveloped individuals, are classified as animal-like in nature. For example, “The spirit of an ignoramus is called ‘animal.’”6 And regarding even the more spiritually sophisticated humans, “When a person is born, they are given a soul from the side of the animal.”7

While it is important to remember that humankind is uniquely distinguished among G‑d’s creations, having been invested with a soul that comes from G‑d’s own breath, unlike the rest of creation, which was formed through His speech (see: Do Dogs Go to Heaven?), these teachings reveal that animals, too, possess far more depth and spirituality than commonly imagined.