Animals (622)

Chapter 27

Laws Relating to Animals on Shabbath and Yom Tov

LEADING AN ANIMAL OR ALLOWING IT TO PERFORM A FORBIDDEN ACTIVITY

7.a. 1) Because of his obligation to prevent his animal from performing a forbidden activity, an owner must ensure that it does not go out into reshuth ha-rabbim or into carmelith carrying a burden.

2) This is the case even if the burden has been on the animal since before Shabbath.

7.b. 1) The term “burden” includes any item which is not designed to protect the physical well-being of the animal to the normal extent required.

2) a) An item which is designed to protect the physical well-being of the animal to the normal extent required is to the animal what an article of clothing is to a human being.

b) Accordingly, subject to the exceptions mentioned in paragraphs 10 and 12 below, one may let the animal go out with it.

7.c.1) An item is considered as protecting the physical well-being of the animal if it directly

a) protects it against the cold,

b) protects it from any other form of suffering,

c) guards against its running away and becoming lost, or even

d) keeps its wool clean.

2) a) An item which is designed to prevent an animal from causing damage is considered to be a burden, and one must not permit one’s animal to go out wearing it.

b) An example is a muzzle placed over the animal’s mouth to stop it from biting, or from grazing in

a field that does not belong to its owner.

8. An animal which needs to be kept on a leash to prevent it from running away may be taken out on a leash in reshuth ha-rabbim, but

a. the person holding it should take care that the section of the leash between the animal and his hand does not hang down to within a tefach of the ground,

b. the other (free) end of the leash must not protrude a tefach or more from his hand, and

c. he should beware not to lean against the animal when attaching a leash on Shabbath or Yom Tov.