Questions tagged [animals]
Questions pertaining to the identity or biology of animals mentioned in Jewish texts literature, or the status of animals in areas of Jewish law, such as diet or damages.
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What does living creature mean?
Does the Hebrew word 'nephesh' (נֶפֶשׁ) refer to any creature (animal or human) or just humans? What does it actually mean in Hebrew? I see it is used in Bereshit to describe the living 'creatures' ...
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Why did David hamstring the horses? [duplicate]
In 2 Shmuel 8:4 we read
David captured 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers of his force; and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, except for 100 which he retained.
The traditional explanation ...
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Is a dead bat impure?
The Torah lists the ״עטלף״ which is generally translated to mean “a bat”, among the non kosher birds, but does that mean that it is considered a bird for every purpose, like when it comes to the laws ...
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Looking at impure phenomenon
This question posits that, as per the extent of my research, the source for pregnant women not gazing at tameh animals is from the sefer kav hayashar 2:7. Which doesn't mention anything about pregnant ...
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Can pregnant women look at animals? [duplicate]
Ive heard that pregnant women should not look at animals. What is the inyan behind pregnant women not looking at animals?
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Symbolism of jackals in Jerusalem
What is the symbolism behind jackals roaming Jerusalem and what practical implications are there when seeing one?
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Do fish feel pain? [duplicate]
Are there any seforim, esoteric or otherwise, that teach such matters as the physiological differences between various species or general categories of animals? For example do fish feel pain?
If they ...
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Walking a dog on Shabbath for leisure
Is a dog owner allowed to walk their dog outside on The Shabbath Day for leisure purposes?
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Beracha of משנה הבריות for a dead animal?
Other questions, here and here, discuss saying the beracha of משנה הבריות when seeing various animals.
Does the same apply if the animal is dead?*, **
Some examples where this can happen: 1) Seeing a ...
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Netilat yadayim with liquid that an animal wouldn't drink
The Shulchan Aruch writes (Orach Hayim, 160: 8) that the waters of Tveryah cannot be used for netilat yadayim because they are "bitter and not fitting for a dog to drink" (and presumably a ...
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What is the difference between איל and עתוד?
במדבר ז יז - וּלְזֶ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִים֮ בָּקָ֣ר שְׁנַ֒יִם֒ אֵילִ֤ם חֲמִשָּׁה֙ עַתּוּדִ֣ים חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה כְּבָשִׂ֥ים בְּנֵֽי־שָׁנָ֖ה חֲמִשָּׁ֑ה זֶ֛ה קׇרְבַּ֥ן נַחְשׁ֖וֹן בֶּן־עַמִּינָדָֽב׃ {פ}
And for his ...
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Question about Leviticus 11:43 [duplicate]
The verse in Leviticus 11:43 speaks about becoming unclean by eating "unclean" animals.
You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping creature that creeps, and you shall not ...
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Prohibited acts with animals
Is sexually stimulating an animal a sin, like having sex with it, as the Torah says, or is it not considered a sin?
There are some professionals that must do this to extract their semen, for example, ...
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What are "tzon" in the parsha of korbanos?
Korbanos of the "tzon" variety may be brought from the "kevasim" and "izim" type. I'm wondering if there are any essays out there that identify what a "keves" ...
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Genesis 32:33 a law or a custom?
It is mentioned in The Tanach that Jacob fought with an angel who could not beat him. At the end of the fight, the angel strikes a nerve in Jacob's leg, causing him to limp. The verse then states: &...
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Why did Hashem kill Pharaoh's horses?
Why did Hashem kill Pharaoh's horses in the yam suf? What did the horses do wrong to deserve to die? Isn't that tzar baleie chayim?
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Removing/destroying a spider web on Shabbos
In response to the question, "Can you destroy a spider web on Shabbos?" asked on this website, part of the reply was a citation from Rabbi Yehoshua Neuwirth (1989) in section (23:9), “...
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IVF for crossbreeding animals
The prohibition that one gets מלקות for in the case of כלאי בהמה is only כמכחול בשפופרת. It is in fact permitted to have the two animals "live" in the same stall in the expectation that they ...
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Can we heal or save pets on shabbat?
If an animal is hurt on the shabbat, are we required to save its life? If I find an animal in a pit on shabbat, am I required to lift it out? If there is a fire on shabbat, should we save our pets?
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Other cases in which an animal gets some status of its owner?
An animal belonging to a kohen can eat Terumah.
Can a poor person's animal eat Maaser Ani?
If one owns an animal in Jeruslaem, may it consume Maaser Sheni?
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Bracha on Unloading and raising up animals
Does one make a bracha over the mitzvot of unloading an exhausted animal, or raising up a collapsed animal?
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Bracha over searching kosher signs
Is there a bracha that is made over searching the kosher signs of animals, whether animals, birds or fish - given that the Rambam lists these as individual mitzvot.
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Pets Benefiting From Violations On Shabbath
Can a dog benefit from food that was cooked for them unintentionally when Erev Shabbath enters in?
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Saying Tehilim for pets
It's common in Judaism to say prayers for those going through dangerous situations such as traveling or medical surgeries. May one pray for a pet having in these situations? Are there any halakhic ...
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Can Animals Be Affected By Ruach Ra’ah
Can a person’s animal be affected by Ruach ra’ah if one touches their pet’s mouth or the inside of their ear before doing morning netilat yadayim?
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Does the Oral Torah have a law against 'common' animals?
I am a Christian who is researching how other religions influenced Christianity throughout its history. Having found that some of my fellow believers in the Hebrew Roots movement hold the belief that ...
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Receiving animal based organ transplants
I was looking at the idea of receiving an organ transplanted from an animal as in this question. One issue which was not raised is that of tum'ah. Though the transplant might be acceptable for many ...
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Why didn't Adam name fish and insects? [duplicate]
When Adam named animals, the Torah mentions three categories: cattle, wild animals, and birds:
"וַיִּקְרָא הָאָדָם שֵׁמוֹת לְכָל־הַבְּהֵמָה וּלְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּלְכֹל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה..."
...
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Why did animals deserve to perish in the mabul? [duplicate]
Because animals have such a limited intellectual capacity, how can they be held culpable for anything that warrants a punishment as severe as the mabul?
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How to tell when a קרבן is a שעיר (older goat) versus שעיר עזים (kid / younger goat)
The רמבם in מעשה הקרבנות א יד writes:
כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּתּוֹרָה כֶּבֶשׂ אוֹ כַּבְשָׂה אוֹ
כְּבָשִׂים הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ בְּנֵי שָׁנָה. וְכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אַיִל
אוֹ אֵילִים הֵם הַזְּכָרִים ...
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Who owns a foster animal?
In animal foster care, the shelter provides everything including food. You are required to take care of the animal (feed, walks, train…). Are you or the shelter considered the owner and by extension ...
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How many species of animals did God create in total?
In Rabbis' views, how many species of animals did God create in total?
How did those views evolve with time and scientific understanding?
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Rambam's Mishneh Torah - Is a female pure after relations with a minor/gentile/animal?
In Rambam's Mishneh Torah, She'ar Avot haTum'ah, 5:19, it is written:
"גְּדוֹלָה שֶׁשָּׁכַב אוֹתָהּ קָטָן פָּחוֹת מִבֶּן תֵּשַׁע [אוֹ עַכּוּ''ם אוֹ בְּהֵמָה] הֲרֵי זוֹ טְהוֹרָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר [(...
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Is it forbidden to boil an animal alive?
Is it forbidden to boil a living animal and then take its meat for consumption? Does the Torah or another source address the concept of boiling living animals?
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Does the law of returning lost objects apply to dangerous animals?
The law of returning lost objects (Deuteronomy 22:1-3) teaches that if you come across your brother's lost ox, sheep, donkey, cloak, etc., you must return it, even if you do not know the one who owns ...
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forbidden to play with kosher animals?
Looking for source that forbidden to play with kosher animals
Lubavicher Rebbe says that it is forbidden to play with kosher animals (lekutai sichos 1 shmini 1 (the Hebrew version does not translate ...
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Does Deuteronomy 22:1-3 apply to stray pets (e.g., dogs)?
Deuteronomy 22:1-3 teaches that if you come across your brother's lost ox, sheep, donkey, cloak, etc., you must return it, even if you do not know the one who owns it. Does this mean that if I see a ...
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Where can I find the passuk / commentary about Animals instinctively doing their business without turning their back to the Beith Hamikdash
I've tried to look for it but couldn't find the reference, where it's said that Dogs & other animals instinctively position themselves in South/North (and other directions but not with their ...
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Why are the forefathers called רועי צאן and not רועי בקר?
In my poor townsman's understanding, confirmed by the scriptures, both sheep (צאן) and cattle (בקר) need shepherding, as it says (Exodus.34.3):
"וְאִישׁ לֹא־יַעֲלֶה עִמָּךְ וְגַם־אִישׁ אַל־יֵרָא ...
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Farming with excrement or remains of unclean animals
What if any prohibitions are there on the intentional use of excrement from unclean animals as fertilizer for crops? Must it be buried, for example?
Does the same apply to the intentional use of ...
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Can only animal sacrifices forgive sins?
Can only animal sacrifices forgive sins?
In Exodus 12:27 it is written
you shall say, ‘It is the passover sacrifice to the LORD, because He
passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when He ...
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Feeding animals as a mitzvah
Related Does one have to feed his dog, parrot, or goldfish before eating according to this Gemara?
The gemara in Gittin 62A teaches that one should feed his animals before he, himself eats. I have ...
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Order of Creation: why the creation of man was grouped with animals and did not stand alone?
On the 6th day, God created both animals and humans, according to the main creation narrative (Gen 1). I would speculate that it would be more reasonable to dedicate each day to a specific niche: a ...
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Principal differences between animals created on the fifth and the sixth days
IIRC, the Jewish tradition divides between inanimated nature, plants, animal kingdom, and humans. I'm not aware of any principal differences within the animal kingdom. However, in the Creation ...
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How are humans that were formed "from dust" different from animals that were formed "from earth"?
"וַיִּיצֶר ה"א אֶת־הָאָדָם עָפָר מִן־הָאֲדָמָה" Genesis.2.7
"וַיִּצֶר ה"א מִן־הָאֲדָמָה כָּל־חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה..." ibid. 19
So according to Rashi and others, Adam was ...
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Where does "animal morality" come from?
The Gemmorah teaches us that we could learn basic morality from the animal kingdom (Eruvin.100b.29, see also 28):
אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אִילְמָלֵא לֹא נִיתְּנָה תּוֹרָה, הָיִינוּ לְמֵידִין צְנִיעוּת ...
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Leviticus 11:26 Divided Hoof vs Cloven Footed
Leviticus 11:26
even every living thing which divides the hoof, and is not cloven
footed, and does not bring up the cud, they are unclean to you; anyone
who touches them shall be unclean.
What's the ...
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Animal Sentience in Judaism
Leaving aside related concepts that might stem from this conversation such as veganism or animal rights...The more I read Tanakh the more it seems to me that the Torah and Tanakh as a whole view ...
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If one steps on an insect on Shabbos and the insect is then mutilated to the point that it will surely die, then is one allowed to kill it?
If one steps on a cockroach on Shabbos and the cockroach is then mutilated to the point that it will surely die, is one then allowed to kill it?
Is it allowed to kill the cockroach because essentially ...
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Which species does or do בקר refer to in the Torah?
Are only cows and bulls included?
Or perhaps other related species as well?
Is this subject to disagreement?
And does context make a difference?
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