Thursday, February 9, 2012

Human Food For Animals

Is it permitted to serve a dog some delicious cholent? I mean, imagine you had to spend your whole life eating dog food?? That would be gross! So why do we impose that same fate upon our dogs??!

Maybe ... because they are dogs and dog food is what they enjoy. Maybe - but has a dog ever told you he wouldn't prefer some pizza for some variety in his diet?

In the gemara in Taanis [כ] Rav Huna says that one may not serve human food to animals. Rashi offers two reasons: 1] It's a disgrace to the food that it is going to animals and not to humans. [Two big lessons - A] In Judaism we respect food! 2] Humans are higher than animals.] 2] It could be going to humans instead.

The practical difference would be if nobody will eat it anyway [such as what is left on people's plates]. According to the first reason it would still be forbidden because it is a disgrace to the food. According to the second reason it would be permitted because nobody is eating it anyway.

Bottom line - Some poskim forbid one to feed animals human food while there are those that permit this practice.

עי' שו"ת מנחת יצחק ח"ג סי' מ"ה