A Dog’s Life
‘Raising Dogs Is Like Raising Pigs’
(Bava Kamma 83a)
Our daf discusses the raising of dogs. R. Eliezer HaGadol considers the raising of dogs to be the equivalent of raising pigs, something which is quite negative and contrary to halacha and Jewish lifestyles. The Gemara questions his severity in this matter and advises that R. Eliezer HaGadol is teaching that indeed, the raising of dogs should normally be prohibited. However, if one raising dogs does so because he lives near a dangerous border, it would be permitted, albeit with certain restrictions, such as securing the dog on a leash during the day.
Is It a Mitzvah to Feed Dogs?
The Mishna and Gemara (Temura 30b-31a) discuss the considerations that apply if “one redeems kodashim to feed them to dogs.” In other words, may one redeem a sacrifice that became treifah and is thus unfit to be offered or eaten, by paying its worth to hekdesh and then feed its meat to dogs? The Gemara there formulates that it should rather be burnt and not redeemed to be given to dogs. We must clarify whether the Mishna’s original assumption to feed dogs from the meat of disqualified kodashim merely stems from the reality that food unfit for people is eaten by dogs, or perhaps Chazal mentioned feeding this treifah meat to dogs because of the verse “…and meat in the field, treifah, you shall not eat; you shall throw it to the dog” (Shemos 22:30). The Mechilta states: “The verse teaches you that Hashem does not withhold any creature’s reward, as we are told: ‘… and to all the children of Israel a dog did not bark.” Hashem said, ‘Give him his reward.” In reward for their silence, the dogs are to be fed treifah meat.
However, a search in the Rambam, the Tur and Shulchan Aruch shows no mention of a mitzvah to give treifah meat to dogs. In fact, the Rema states (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 117:4) that it is permitted to sell treifah and nevelah to gentiles. The author of Minchas Chinuch remarks (mitzvah 73) that though the Rishonim and Acharonim do not mention the mitzvah to feed treifah to dogs, and those who counted the mitzvos also did not count it as a mitzvah. On the other hand, Tosafos (Yoma 36b, s.v. Lav d’nevelah ...) are obviously of the opinion that the verse “… you shall throw it to a dog” is a commandment, like the above Mechilta; thus, one who does not do so is ignoring a mitzvah.
An Ill Person Should Eat the Nevelah and Give the Treifah to Dogs
The author of Divrei Emes tends to follow Tosafos’ opinion and therefore introduces an amazing chiddush: A Jew who is so seriously ill that he is in danger of his life, who is advised that he must eat meat, but he has only treifah and nevelah available – what is he to do? He rules that he should not eat the treifah because by doing so he ignores the positive mitzvah to give the treifah to dogs. Rather, he should eat the nevelah (see Responsa Beis Yitzchak, Orach Chayyim, 95, os 3). The Tashbetz also indicates that, according to this opinion, there is indeed a mitzvah to feed dogs. This was the Sages’ intention when they said (Avos 2:1), “Consider the loss of a mitzvah compared to its reward” – that even if one suffers a loss by giving the meat to a dog, he should remember that he is performing a mitzvah with a great reward. As mentioned, this opinion was not ruled as halacha. Nonetheless, this doesn’t concern expensive meat, according to Tosafos, but rather cheap meat, as indicated by Tosafos (Avodah Zarah 20a, s.v. Rabbi Meir) who discuss giving nevelah to a ger toshav.
A Matter of Relative Value
It is obvious that even according to those who are of the opinion that it is a mitzvah from the Torah to feed the dogs, that is only where the meat has little value, and as such the loss is slight. However, where there is a ready market to sell such meat to gentiles, we are not required to cast off the meat to dogs (see Machatzis HaShekel, 498, s.k. 8 who indeed states this view, that only in earlier times, in the land of Israel, where few gentiles were found, was it considered a mitzvah to give the treifah to the dogs).
Feeding A Stray On Shabbos
It is interesting to note the Meiri’s following statement (Shabbos 19a): On Shabbos it is forbidden to feed animals unless we must do so, such as where they belong to us. Obviously, this means domestic animals that are totally dependent on humans for their sustenance. Magen Avraham (Orach Chayyim 324, s.k. 7, and see Mishna Berurah, s.k. 31, for dissenting views) opines that dogs are different, that one may even feed a dog that does not belong to him “as it is a mitzvah to feed it.” The Meiri states that dogs are special because of the commandment, “You shall throw it to a dog.” Although there’s no positive mitzvah to feed a dog, the Torah taught us a general mode of behavior that includes the proper care of dogs.
