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
42 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 ...
6
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0answers
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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 ...
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6answers
2k views
Does the Torah discuss aliens?
Does the Torah discuss extra-terrestrial life and/or civilizations?
Do any Torah sources exist which discuss what these hypothetical beings would be like and their status/nature? (eg. Would they be ...
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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 ...
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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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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 ...
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 ...
7
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1answer
271 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
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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
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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
84 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 ...
14
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6answers
329 views
G'dolim or Rabbis Owning Pets
Are there any g'dolim (or rabbis of major influence) - past or present - who are known to have owned pets/kept animals for non-agricultural purposes?
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3answers
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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
77 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 ...
2
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2answers
120 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 ...
3
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2answers
128 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 ...
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 ...
2
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1answer
74 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?
5
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1answer
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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 ...
3
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2answers
81 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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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.
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 ...
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, ...
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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)
...
2
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3answers
286 views
How many Kosher animals were in Noach's Ark?
How many animals total of each Kosher species were in the teivah during the flood?
5
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2answers
433 views
Why is the word “tzvi” ambiguous?
The word tsvi (צבי) is traditionally considered to mean "deer". For example, the Hebrew name "Tsvi" has the Yiddish equivalent "Hersh", and "Hirsch" means "deer" in German.
On the other hand, in ...
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7answers
436 views
Eating Meat: What Changed?
Adam wasn't allowed to eat meat. After the mabul (Flood) we were suddenly permitted to eat (Bereshit 9:3). What changed (ie what was the reason we weren't allowed to before, why are we allowed to now ...
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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
132 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 ...
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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 ...
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 ...
6
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1answer
54 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?
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0answers
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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 ...
13
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3answers
461 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 ...
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2answers
195 views
What's the difference between כשב and כבש?
What's the difference between כשב and כבש? Why does the Torah use both?
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2answers
434 views
Is there an issue with ladies going to the zoo when they are pregnant?
Is there an issue with ladies going to the zoo when they are pregnant? If yes then why is it a problem?
3
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2answers
251 views
Are there burial requirements for pets?
Halacha requires certain burial practices for people, because people are special. Are there any requirements or, especially, prohibitions regarding pets who have died? Is it acceptable to cremate ...
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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0answers
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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
130 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?
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2answers
128 views
Can I defend my animals with lethal force?
We know that it is permitted, in self-defense, to kill one who is trying to kill you, and I have heard that this applies to other people too (I see someone trying to kill someone else and I ...
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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
195 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?
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1answer
190 views
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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
150 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 ...
