Question:
We have pet at home, and I have heard that one must let one’s animal rest and not do the 39 Melachos on Shabbos from the Pasuk לְמַעַן יָנוּחַ, שׁוֹרְךָ וַחֲמֹרֶךָ. The prohibition is called Shevitas Behemso. So what does one need to be careful of in regard to animals on Shabbos?
Answer:
The Shulchan Aruch 305:1 states that one should not take an animal out on Shabbos beyond the eruv with anything that doesn’t benefit the animal. Even renting out one’s work animal (such as a horse) to a non Jew for Shabbos is forbidden because the non Jew may do work with it and it is forbidden for a Jewish owned animal to work on Shabbos.However, it’s permissible to give to a goy one’s animal for Shabbos as long as the Jewish owner does not collect a rental fee. It is even permitted to give the animal on Shabbos itself.
Commanding one’s animal to perform a melacha on Shabbos is forbidden because of Amira lenochri. The Or Letzion 1:23 proves from the Gemara Shabbos. He explains that there are two reasons that apply: 1) it appears as though the non-Jew is the agent of the Jew working on Shabbos and 2) one is not supposed to speak about weekday activities, such as melacha, on Shabbos. He says that even though the first reason doesn’t apply to animals, the second one does.
In regard to playing with a pet the following applies.Moving an animal is forbidden because of Muktzah. Some poskim permit moving a pet that can be used to quiet a child such as a domesticated pet. Touching however, is permitted. According to some poskim, if the animal is in a cage or tank, then the thing becomes muktzah, however, not all poskim agree.
Someone who has a pet and needs to walk it daily, may do so on Shabbos, but he shouldn’t lift it. If one is going in a reshus harabim he must be careful that he doesn’t let the leash hang by more than a tefach from his hand. One should avoid walking an animal beyond the eruv with anything that does not benefit the animal itself.
The Shulchan Aruch 308:40 says that a person can put a leash on a dog on Shabbos or move it if it is in order to alleviate its suffering.It is forbidden to place something on an animal or remove it from an animal on Shabbo and one may not lean on an animal on Shabbos.
It is forbidden to ride an animal on Shabbos.One who mistakenly got onto an animal must come down because of Tzaarr balei chaim.If one needs a guide dog because he is blind and requires the dog to help him get around, it is permitted for him to use a seeing eye dog on Shabbos.
Holding a dog on a leash to take it for a walk is tiltull min hasad according to Byizchak Yikareh on Mishnah brurah 308:151.
If one owns an animal that produces milk, it is forbidden to milk the animal on Shabbos as this is a violation of mifarek, which falls under the melacha of Dosh.It is permissible to tell a non-Jew to milk an animal for you on Shabbos because if you don’t it will cause the animal pain, but the milk is considered muktzah for the day. If a non-Jew is not available one should let the milk go to waste so that the violation is only dirabanan which would be allowed to save the animal from the pain, and one should try to do it with a shinui. This leniency to allow a Jew to do it, only applies if there are no baby animals who can drink the milk. |