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Permissible
- According to many Jewish sources, pet ownership is permissible provided the animals do not pose a danger to people or property. As biblical sources attest, the Jewish patriarchs were shepherds and kept livestock.
www.myjewishlearning.com/article/animals-in-judaism/Judaism and Pets: Questions and Answers - My Jewish Learning
Are there any Jewish laws governing how you treat your pet? Yes. While Jewish tradition permits human beings to make use of animals, acts of cruelty toward them are expressly prohibited — a principle known as tza’ar baalei chayim. General principles of how Jews ought to treat animals show concern both for the physical suffering of animals ...
- Dogs
Jewish tradition does not expressly prohibit the keeping of...
- Month of Elul
Although the month of Elul — the sixth month of the Jewish...
- Psalms
The Book of Psalms is an ancient anthology of poetic prayers...
- Shabbat's Work Prohibition
Beyond Torah: What Can and Can’t We Do? In the Mishnah, the...
- Ask The Expert: Kosher Pet Food
The Torah explicitly allows us to feed non-kosher food to...
- Afterlife for Animals
Jewish tradition has not been very clear on this question....
- Rabbi Isaac Luria
When God chose the Jewish nation and they heard the...
- Ethical Treatment of Animals in Judaism
Beyond simply prohibiting cruelty to animals, Jewish...
- Dogs
- May Jews Own Pets?
- How About Dangerous Animals?
- Is It OK to Own A Pig?
- How About Neutering Or spaying?
- Is It True That You Need to Feed Animals Before You Eat?
- How About Caring For Pets on Shabbat?
- Anything to Know About The Firstborn Animals?
- Does My Animal Need to Keep Kosher?
- What Can I Feed My Pets on Passover?
- Must A Jewish-Owned Pet Fast on Yom Kippur?
For a host of cultural reasons, anecdotal evidence suggests that Jewish homes did not often include pet dogs (although cats were more commonly kept, to keep mice at bay). One reason for this may be that pets are generally non-kosher animals, and there is a preference for seeing kosherimages to whatever degree possible. Thus Orthodox pet ownership i...
It is indeed forbidden to keep dangerous pets, such as a dog that bites (or even one who barks and frightens people), unless they are properly restrained. The Talmud and subsequent texts discuss what allowances may be made for security and what precautions are still necessary.1 Read: Guard Your Life
The Talmud tells us that there is an ancient curse placed on anyone who raises pigs. This happened after enemies besieging Jerusalem sent in a pig instead of the usual kosher animals that were allowed into the city to be sacrificed on the altar.2 So although pigs make for intelligent and trainable pets, they are not right for Jewish homes. Read: Ma...
The gift of life is sacred. It is written “... in your land you shall not make” damage to an animal’s reproductive organs.3 It is, however, OK to purchase an animal that has already been fixed by a non-Jewish vet.4 Read: 9 Ways Judaism Teaches Us Kindness to Animals
In the Shema, we are assured that G‑d will “give grass in the field for your cattle, and you will eat and be sated.5 From here the sages infer that we, too, must make sure that our animals have food before we sit down to breakfast.6 Read: Do I Need to Feed My Dog Before Eating?
There are indeed several issues pet owners need to be aware of regarding Shabbat: 1. “Trapping” is one of the 39 acts (melachot) forbidden on Shabbat. If your animal is prone to running away, then closing the door or window to prevent its flight may be a form of trapping. 2. It is permitted to walk your animal even outside of an eruv, provided that...
We are told in the Torah that the firstborn of any kosher flock is holy and must be given to a Kohen (priest), who would consume it as a sacrifice in the Holy Temple. There is also a similar sacredness for the firstborn donkey, which must be exchanged for a sheep, which is then sacrificed. Nowadays, since there is no Holy Temple, firstborns cannot ...
Assuming that you are not preparing your animal’s meals in your kosher kitchen with your kosher dishes, your animal is free to enjoy horse meat or other non kosher foods. An exception8 to this rule would be a cooked mixture of milk and meat, from which we may not benefit and are therefore not even allowed to feed our pets. This applies only to the ...
Passover can be tricky, since we may not benefit from chametzon Passover. The ingredients of various animal foods are different, so consult the most recent guides published by your local kosher supervisory agency to find out what’s OK each year. Note that kitniyot (beans, legumes, corn, etc.) may be fed to our pets, even by Ashkenazimwho do not eat...
We read on Yom Kippur afternoon how Jonah inspired the residents of Ninveh to fast and repent. In that case, as decreed by the king, both people and livestock refrained from eating and drinking.10This, however, is not the Jewish way. On Jewish fast days, only Jewish adults (and children who are up to the task) are obligated to fast. This does not i...
While permission is given to eat animals, Jewish tradition builds in rules to guard against their suffering. In rabbinic tradition, this principle becomes known as "tzaar baalei chaim," the belief that humans must treat animals with care and do everything in our power to minimize their suffering.
Beyond simply prohibiting cruelty to animals, Jewish tradition associates care for animals with righteousness. Within the Torah, the commandment to send a mother bird away before taking eggs or chicks from her nest is one of the few commandments that promises long life to those who fulfill it.
Jewish tradition does not expressly prohibit the keeping of dogs as pets, but biblical and rabbinic sources do include numerous references that associate dogs with violence and uncleanliness and frown on the practice of keeping them in one’s home.
Here are nine ways that Judaism teaches us to be compassionate to animals. 1. Don’t Cause Needless Pain to Animals. Causing any unnecessary pain to animals is prohibited. The Torah commands: “You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen [under its load] on the road, and ignore them.”
Shabbat presents certain challenges for pet owners, but many, many pet owners are also Shabbat-observant Jews, and becoming familiar with a few basic rules and concepts is all that is needed. There are four primary areas affected by the Shabbat laws: 1) Feeding. 2) "Trapping". 3) Walking your pet.
