The animals tag has no wiki summary.
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Is it considered tzaar baalei chayyim to deliberately feed a live animal to another animal?
There are many pets available today that experts recommended to feed (infrequently or at times solely) on live animals. Many reptiles (snakes, chameleons, geckos, monitors, etc.) and many fish are ...
-1
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1answer
41 views
What actually happened to Jacob's and Laban's sheeps and goats?
Genesis 30 (JPS):
34 And Laban said: 'Behold, would it might be according to thy word.' 35 And he removed that day the he-goats that were streaked and spotted, and all the she-goats that were ...
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0answers
68 views
Is a Jew able to go hunting?
What is the Halacha in regard to whether or not a person can go hunting? What have Poskim said on this issue?
3
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0answers
46 views
Were semi-marine animals on Noah's Ark?
Otters, alligators, salamanders, frogs, penguins, seals, polar bears, sea lions, platypuses, beavers, sea snakes, sea turtles, etc. These animals to varying degrees need to be able to be both on land ...
2
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1answer
77 views
Playing with a pet on Shabbos
Is there any opinion that holds one may play or touch a pet on Shabbos (even though animals are normally muktzeh on Shabbos.) Specifically one that is meant for this purpose (to play with.) I heard ...
7
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1answer
269 views
Viewing copulating animals
As a child at the zoo I was taught that one is not allowed to view animals while they are copulating. However as a pet owner I have learned that the exposed genitals of animals do not prohibit a ...
6
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0answers
55 views
Would a genetically engineered red heifer be usable?
Assuming that a non-Jew chose to create a genetically engineered parah adumah (red heifer) and further assuming it met all the halachic requirements --no two black hairs, hadn't been used for work ...
4
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3answers
195 views
How much is 2 Zuz worth in current USD?
As mentioned in the Passover Hagaddah, how much is "2 Zuz" worth in March 2013 US Dollars?
Please note there may be different types of Zuz: "זוזי פשיטי" and "זוזי ממש" (Gemara Ketuvot 67a). This may ...
2
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1answer
79 views
Animal testing of cosmetics and other products
To what extent does tzaar baalei chayyim--the prohibition on causing needless pain to animals--apply to animal testing of products such as cosmetics? What are the potential halachic problems for both ...
2
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1answer
69 views
Purchasing products that were not manufactured in a Torahdik manner?
Are there any restrictions on purchasing or using non-food products that were manufactured in violation of the Law? If so, on what grounds?
For example: A non-Jew manufactures a product, and, in ...
1
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3answers
96 views
Why was Cow so Important and prefered as sacrifice over other animals in Bani Israel?
I read a lot about cows used in sacrifice , what is the reason that Cows were sacrificed and what was the importance of Cows for Bani Israel
2
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1answer
76 views
Is it permissible to be mechalel Shabbos to save the life of an animal or pet?
Is it permissible to be mechalel Shabbos to save the life of an animal, such as a family pet?
Could minchag, chumras, and/or purely Rabbinical prohibitions be relaxed in such a situation, and to what ...
2
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0answers
57 views
Meaning of dreams with some kinds of animals
The gemara in berachot says: "All kinds of beasts are a good sign in a dream, except the elephant, the monkey and the long-tailed ape" (57b).
Why is a dream with an elephant, a monkey or a long-tailed ...
1
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2answers
116 views
Laws of “Shehiyah” relating to a “Chayah”
In the Shulchan Arukh (Yoreh Deah Siman 23) we find the laws of "shehiyah", which relates to the laws of shechita. This is basically a prohibition stating that one may not pause in the middle of the ...
2
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2answers
118 views
Can one make a mi'shebeirach for animals?
Is it proper to conduct a mi'shebeirach prayer (which is a prayer normally said by a synagogue official, at a communal Torah reading, for the health and recovery of a sick person) for the ...
2
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1answer
73 views
Aggadah Of Great Bird Destroying Towns
I once heard about Jewish aggada telling about big bird throwing huge eggs made of steel which were destroying towns. Does anyone knows if there such aggada exists and what the source for it is?
3
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2answers
80 views
Shechting non-Kosher animals
The question was asked: If someone for example is sick and must eat from a non-kosher animal. Must it be shechted (slaughtered) first like a kosher animal? I don't see any reason why it should, since ...
5
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1answer
178 views
What are some understandings as to how animals populated different continents after the flood?
What are some understandings as to how animals populated different continents after the flood? Did some species of animals survive the flood? Or are we to understand that the flood only affected the ...
6
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1answer
75 views
What is it with the donkeys all over Parashat Mikeitz?
So, we got Bereshit 42, psukim 26, 27
כו וַיִּשְׂאוּ אֶת-שִׁבְרָם, עַל-חֲמֹרֵיהֶם; וַיֵּלְכוּ, מִשָּׁם. כז
וַיִּפְתַּח הָאֶחָד אֶת-שַׂקּוֹ, לָתֵת מִסְפּוֹא
לַחֲמֹרוֹ--בַּמָּלוֹן; וַיַּרְא, ...
2
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2answers
118 views
Inconsistency in listing creeping things in Noach's Ark's population
The animal population of Noach's Ark is commanded/listed six times in Parashat Noach:
Genesis 6:19-20 (Initial command)
Genesis 7:2-3 (Reiteration of command)
Genesis 7:8-9 (Entry to the Ark)
...
11
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4answers
199 views
Kashrus status of turkeys
From what I have heard there were those that did not eat turkey (such as Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzky Zatzal) due to a question whether we have a Mesorah as to the Kashrus of this bird. I know that many ...
5
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3answers
392 views
Horse back riding for women
Is it permissible for an Orthodox woman to do horseback riding in an ordinary saddle, or does she have to use a sidesaddle? Furthermore, would she be able to use women's trousers made for horseback ...
6
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2answers
138 views
“Tzon k'doshim!” ―“Baa!”: source/provenance
In some synagogues, on Simchas Tora, someone will shout "Tzon k'doshim!", meaning "holy sheep/goats", or "Tzon kadashim!", meaning "sheep/goats of sacrificial-offering sanctity". He's replied to with ...
4
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1answer
131 views
Playing with non-kosher animals
I have often heard it said that there is a tradition amongst kabbalists not to own, play with or possibly even look at animals that are not kosher. Assuming that this is correct, my question is ...
5
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2answers
106 views
How/why does kaparot work?
The ritual of kaparot [lit. atonement], which is usually done just prior to Yom Kippur (usually the day before), where one waves a chicken or an [unspecified] amount of money over one's head in a ...
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4answers
151 views
Check cashmere for Shatnez?
Is one required to check cashmere clothing for shatnez?
Cashmere is a kind of wool that does not come from sheep.
6
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1answer
53 views
Why did the animals of Ninveh have to fast and wear sackcloth?
In Yona 3:7-8 we find that the people of Ninveh included the animals in their teshuva process. Why make the animals fast and don sackcloth? How was this part of the teshuva process?
3
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0answers
36 views
Why is 1 Elul / 1 Tishrei the New Year for livestock?
The first Mishna in Rosh Hashanah says that 1 Elul is the new year for livestock, i.e. I can only tithe one year's "crop" of livestock at a time, so 1 Elul delineates the herds. (Update: we follow the ...
3
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1answer
98 views
What is the אדני השדה
The Mishna in Kelaim 8:5 talks about the אדני השדה . I know of a few perushim who say that this is a type of monkey (Tiferes Yisroel syas that it's an orangutang).
If you look in the Yerushalmi on ...
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Doggie “Kisses” on Tisha b'Av when Rechitza (Washing) is Forbidden
Several authorities forbid washing on the Ninth of Av, and many of those same authorities often require one to sit on the floor or a low stool during that evening and morning. However, I own a dog and ...
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1answer
129 views
Can I free a trapped wild animal on shabbat?
If I find an animal trapped under a box on shabbat, is there anything wrong with letting it out?
8
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1answer
77 views
Animal rights vs other considerations in halacha and hashkafa
On a boat, Reuven owns five ostriches and one of them eats a diamond off of Shimon's hat which is on his head. Though we are not sure which one ate it we know with certainty that one of them did. ...
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3answers
193 views
Are there meforshim on perek shira?
Are there meforshim on perek shira? I'm looking for anything besides artscroll. If there are many, which would you recommend to start?
4
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2answers
83 views
Bird droppings invalidating location for prayer?
One may not pray near feces or other sources of biological waste and decay that give a foul odor (see the article for several opinions on when/how it applies). Does this include bird droppings?
...
5
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1answer
149 views
Does anyone have a proof text that animals *don't* have spirits?
I've heard it said that animals don't possess a רוח
However, Ecclesiastes 3:21 uses the phrase רוּחַ הַבְּהֵמָה.
Is there any text that indicates that animals don't possess a spirit?
Edit: Upon ...
13
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3answers
460 views
Does an ivory spoon make hot tea non-kosher?
Both the handles of cutlery and spoons entire have been made of elephant ivory, which is from a tusk (a tooth) of an elephant. Elephant is of course not a kosher animal. Presumably, then, these spoons ...
6
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0answers
137 views
Chad Gadya: The price of a kid goat
Was the fair market value of a kid goat really two zuzim? This piyyut is of course allegorical, but, if the value given is highly inaccurate, is the discrepancy in value symbolic beyond the symbolism ...
8
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1answer
75 views
mating prevention as Tza'ar Ba'alei Chayim
Does anyone know whether keeping an animal of one sex as a pet is considered Tza'ar Ba'alei Chayim or not, since it cannot mate?
1
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1answer
88 views
Where do chazal refer to rus and naomi as birds?
Where is the chazal that refers to Rus and Naomi (na'ama?) as shnei preidos tovos - two good birds?
10
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2answers
283 views
Why do Fish not need Shechita?
In order to eat "regular" Kosher animals, there is a requirement for the animal to undergo Shechita (ritual slaughter). If an animal were to be killed / die without Shechita it is forbidden to be ...
3
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2answers
126 views
Is it prohibited to derive benefit from a mixture of milk and meat if the animal was improperly slaughtered?
Is it prohibited to derive benefit from a mixture of milk and meat if the animal was improperly slaughtered? Assume the animal slaughtered, like the milk-giving animal, is kosher, but the slaughter ...
10
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1answer
150 views
What can I feed my elderly cat during Pesach?
I have a 19-year-old cat who is (now) on a low-protein diet, precluding the canonical week of tuna. Is there someplace I can buy chametz-free, low-protein food? Are there any consequences (for me) ...
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3answers
140 views
Hamster Food and Chometz
I have hamsters at home, and their usual food is chometz. I can feed them with cornflakes and other kitniyot for a short period (about a week, maybe more), but not for a long time. Hamsters store food ...
3
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1answer
71 views
כחל of a Ḥayah Tehorah - same din as כחל of a Behemah Tehorah?
I'm trying to tighten up my answer on Haman and prepare for my Purim Derashah. Does anyone know if כחל of a Ḥayah Tehorah has the same Din as a Behemah Tehorah?
FYI, I want to change the words ...
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3answers
300 views
Is Okapi meat Kosher?
Is the Okapi a kosher animal? According to its Wikipedia page, it is most closely related to the giraffe, which everyone seems to agree is kosher. A quick Google search tells me that it chews its cud. ...
10
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2answers
271 views
Why do we think of the korban pesach as a sheep, not as a goat?
Ask many a grade-schooler (and many an adult, for that matter) what animal the korban pesach is, and he'll tell you "a sheep".[1]
In fact, it can be a sheep or a goat. (It's explicit in chumash ...
4
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2answers
162 views
Beef from cows?
Rabbi Sholem Fishbane, Kashruth Administrator at the Chicago Rabbinical Council, says:
You would think, with so many cow sh'chitas in America, with so many, you know, steaks, what we have, that ...
4
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1answer
129 views
Shabbos Shira - putting out bread for the birds
Is there a problem with putting out bread for birds on Shabbos (in a case where there is no carrying issues)?
7
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1answer
108 views
First-born animals today
From what I understand, the laws of "bechor behemah tehorah" (kosher first-born animal) are still in effect today, both in Israel and outside. To avoid problems with this, we sell a share of the ...
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2answers
125 views
Dolphins in the Sea
I have heard that there is a Midrash which says that Dolphins swam on either side of the dry land when the sea was split for Moshe to warn the fish not to swim out onto dry land. Why are there ...
