It’s time for a great meal! The brisket smells magnificent — the aroma fills the room and is inhaled by every living creature as well as your dog.
As you begin to partake of this delicacy, sitting next to you is your lovable dog — anticipating, hoping — those magnificent eyes just waiting to savor what you have been enjoying.
Alas, your heart gives out and you give the dog some of your leftovers. It’s a sacrifice of love — and it’s against Jewish law.
Throughout its ancient writings and modern-day thoughts, Judaism is extremely clear that no animal is to be mistreated. As you ate, your pet was sitting idly by, suffering because you were enjoying your meal and he or she had to wait. It has therefore been declared that you must give the dog the beginnings of your meal to alleviate their heightened sense of potential disappointment and rejection.
Are you allowed to teach your pet tricks? Judaism is quite clear that you should not have an animal do something they are not naturally inclined to do simply for the entertainment of others. Your sense of superiority over an animal you have trained only satisfies your own sense of accomplishment.
As you are reading this, you’re probably saying Judaism has gone too far once again. But wait — there’s more. Judaism is absolutely opposed to training animals for the circus, so you will not find any circuses in Israel. Oddly, most internationally recognized circuses do you have Jewish roots, as they were formed by Jewish people.
America recently adopted these leftover Jewish laws when restrictions were placed on what animals can and cannot do in a three-ring circus. The same is true of many theme parks that no longer allow for whales and dolphins to do things that are unnatural.
Studies involving violent people have concluded that when they were younger many of them exhibited the trait of animal cruelty.
Our texts about how to live a great life both in the secular and Jewish worlds clearly indicate that the rules of the Sabbath may be violated in order to save the life of an animal. The Torah indicates that, when farming, one animal may not overpower another and they must be equal in their ability to pull a cart. Animals are also supposed to rest on Shabbat!
Many people refer to their canine pets as man’s best friend. This expression goes back to the late 1800s, when one person got so fed up with his neighbor’s dog incessantly barking that, regrettably, he killed the dog. The bereaved owner went to court and sued his neighbor for mental distress, stating that he lost his best friend. The court ruled in favor of the despondent owner and awarded him a cash reward.
Back to Judaism. Just about every one of our laws, no matter how mundane and far out, is actually for our own benefit. They can be traced back to their origin only to discover that they enhance our mental, physical, and emotional well-being and relationships.
If I left anything out, I’ll be sure to pick it up as a leftover for my next article!
Andy Greenberg is a 25-year Conservative Jewish educator of grades 3-12 and a lecturer for adults of all ages.
