Following the devastating flood, a new world order is established between humanity and the animal kingdom. As Noah and his family step out of the ark, God grants humanity a renewed dominion over creation, accompanied by a deep, unnatural dread that will now instinctively grip all wildlife in the presence of humans. This shift in the natural balance is designed to secure human supremacy, particularly in light of the unprecedented permission humanity is about to receive: the right to consume meat.
Commentators offer several reasons why this profound fear is necessary at this specific moment in history. Because animals had lived in such close, confined quarters with humans on the ark, they had grown overly familiar with them and lost their natural apprehension [הטור הארוך, פענח רזא]. Furthermore, during the corrupted generation of the flood, animals had begun to act as aggressive predators, making it essential to grant humanity special, divine protection [מלבי"ם, ביאור יש"ר]. The most fundamental reason, however, is the new allowance for humans to slaughter and eat animals. Without a divinely imposed terror, the animal kingdom might have violently rebelled against humans attempting to hunt or butcher them [כלי יקר]. Additionally, the very fact that the animals were saved from the flood by human hands serves to clearly demonstrate human superiority to them [קאסוטו].
The dread placed upon creation operates on multiple levels, encompassing both a constant, lingering anxiety of a distant threat and a sudden, paralyzing panic when danger is imminent [מלבי"ם, הכתב והקבלה, מחוקקי יהודה]. This distinction is reflected in how different creatures react. Beasts and birds, which can easily flee from afar, experience a constant apprehension. Conversely, creeping things and fish, which generally slip away only when a human approaches and physically disturbs them, experience a sudden, immediate terror [העמק דבר]. The specific mention of fierce terrestrial predators and soaring birds emphasizes the profound nature of this new reality: even the most aggressive creatures, as well as those entirely out of human reach, will now cower before humanity [קאסוטו]. The constant worry primarily affects the distant birds, while the sudden, visceral panic is triggered by the beasts of the earth, whose closer proximity presents a more immediate danger [הכתב והקבלה, מחוקקי יהודה]. This encompassing dread extends across all environments, covering everything from the creatures that move upon the earth to the fish of the sea [אבן עזרא, קאסוטו, שד"ל, ביאור יש"ר, מחוקקי יהודה].
Yet, this human dominion is neither absolute nor unconditional. The fear that animals harbor toward humanity is entirely dependent on the Divine Image present within every person. This spiritual aura is inextricably tied to human life and moral conduct. As long as a person is alive, their inherent Divine Image casts a protective awe over creation. A living, day-old infant is naturally protected from scavenging mice, whereas the lifeless corpse of a towering giant would require guarding against those same creatures [רש"י, תורה תמימה, גור אריה]. Furthermore, a wild beast will never attack a human being unless that person has sinned and consequently lost their Divine Image. Stripped of this spiritual majesty, the person simply appears to the predator as just another animal, entirely vulnerable to attack [תורה תמימה, פענח רזא, נחלת יעקב].
The newfound authority to consume flesh raises a profound moral question: by what right may a human extinguish the life of another living creature? The primary approach among commentators addresses this through the principle of spiritual elevation. When a person who pursues wisdom and spiritual perfection consumes an animal, they elevate that creature from its lower, physical existence and integrate its energy into a higher spiritual reality. Through this process, the animal achieves its ultimate purpose in the grand design of creation. However, if a person behaves like a beast, consumed solely by base, materialistic desires, their consumption of meat is nothing more than wanton destruction. In such a degraded state, the human possesses no true superiority that justifies taking the life of the animal [כלי יקר, הכתב והקבלה].