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Winter Timetable 5778 – 2017 / 18

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Q & A on Parashat Chaye Sara

All references are to the verses and Rashis commentary, unless otherwise stated.

1. Name the four couples buried in Kiryat Arba.
   23:2 – Adam and Chava, Avraham and Sara, Yitzchak and Rivka, Yaakov and Leah.
2. What did Sara hear that caused her death?
   23:2 – That Yitzchak was almost slaughtered.
3. What title of honor did the Bnei Chet bestow upon Avraham?
   23:6 – Prince of G-d.
4. Where was Avraham born?
   24:7 – Ur Kasdim.
5. How were Avraham’s camels distinguished?
   24:10 – They were muzzled, so they wouldn’t graze in the fields of others.
6. What is meant by "all the good of his master in his hand"?
   24:10 – Eliezer carried a document in which Avraham gave all he owned to Yitzchak so that people would want their daughter to marry him.
7. What special character trait did Eliezer seek when choosing a wife for Yitzchak?
   24:14 – He sought someone who excelled in performing acts of kindness.
8. Why did Avraham’s servant, Eliezer, run toward Rivka?
   24:17 – He saw that the waters of the well rose when she approached.
9. Why did Lavan run to greet Eliezer?
   24:29 – Lavan coveted his money.
10. When Lavan told Eliezer that the house was cleared out, what did he remove?
    24:31 – Idols.
11. Who did Eliezer want Yitzchak to marry?
    24:39 – His own daughter.
12. Aside from Eliezer, to which other people did Rivka offer to give water?
    24:44 – To the men who accompanied Eliezer.
13. Lavan answered Eliezer before his father, Betuel, had a chance. What does this indicate about Lavan’s character?
    24:50 – That he was wicked.
14. What did Rivka mean when she said "I will go?"
    24:58 – I will go even if you don’t want me to go.
15. What blessing did Rivka’s family give her before she departed?
    24:60 – That the blessings given to Avraham would continue through her children.
16. Who was Ketura?
    25:1 – Hagar.
17. What gift did Avraham give to Yitzchak?
    25:5 – The power of blessing.
18. How old was Avraham when he died?
    25:7 – 175 years old.
19. For how many years did Yaakov attend the Yeshiva of Ever?
    25:17 – 14 years.
20. How many times is Eliezer’s name mentioned in this week’s Parsha?
    None!

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Halachot from Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Ztz’l

איסור אכילה קודם שיתן מאכל לבהמתו

בגמרא במסכת ברכות (מ.) אמר רב יהודה אמר רב, אסור לאדם שיאכל קודם שיתן לבהמתו לאכול, שנאמר (דברים יא) "ונתתי עשב בשדך לבהמתך, ואכלת ושבעת". ומבואר אם כן, שמכיון שהקדימה התורה את הבהמה לאדם לענין האכילה (להיפך ממה שהיה ראוי יותר להקדים את האדם לבהמה), לכן אסור לאדם לאכול לפני שיתן מאכל לבהמתו. וכן פסקי הרמב"ם וכל הפוסקים. ומובן שאין חילוק בזה בין בהמה לחיה ועוף, שלכולם חייב לתת מאכל לפני שיאכל הוא. ועל כן המגדל בביתו בעל חי ורוצה לאכול איזה דבר, עליו לתת קודם מאכל לאותו בעל חי ואחר כך רשאי לאכול.

ולענין טעימת מאכל בלבד לפני נתינת מאכל לבהמות, כתב הטורי זהב ( סי’ קסז ס"ק ז) שבטעימה בלבד אין איסור, וכלשון הגמרא, אסור "לאכול" עד שיתן מאכל לבהמתו, משמע שבטעימה בלבד אין איסור.

אולם מרן החיד"א בברכי יוסף (ס"ק ה) תמה על דברי הטורי זהב, שהרי גירסת הרי"ף והרא"ש בגמרא, אסור "לטעום", וכן גורסים עוד רבים מן הראשונים, ואם כן משמע שאף בטעימה בלבד יש לאסור. ובאמת שכך היא גרסת הגמרא בגיטין (סב.) שאסור אף לטעום קודם שיתן מאכל לבהמתו. ולכן גם בטעימה בלבד יש לאסור. וכן פסק מרן הרב שליט"א בספר הליכות עולם (עמ’ שנב).

ולענין שתיה קודם נתינת משקה לבהמה, כתב בספר חסידים שלענין שתיה האדם קודם לבהמה, ורשאי לשתות קודם שיתן משקה לבהמתו, שנאמר (במדבר כ) "והשקית את העדה ואת בעירם" (בעירם כלומר בהמתם). וכן נאמר (בבראשית כד) "שתה וגם גמליך אשקה", מה שאין כן באכילה שנאמר, ויתן תבן ומספוא לגמלים" ואחר כך נאמר "ויושם לפניו לאכול".

על כן למעשה, אסור לטעום שום דבר לפני שיתן לבעלי החיים שבאחריותו לאכול, אולם לענין שתיה, רשאי לשתות לפני שיתן שתיה לבהמתו. אולם כל זה דוקא במקום שאין צער לבעלי החיים במניעת המשקה מהם, אבל אם הם מצטערים מחסרון המאכל או המשקה, הרי בלאו הכי מחוייב האחראי עליהם לדאוג לכל מחסורם מדין "צער בעלי חיים" שעונשו חמור מאד.

וכאן המקום להזכיר, שמי שיש לו בעלי חיים תחת אחריותו, צריך להזהר מאד שלא יגרם להם שום צער תחת חזקתו, אם במניעת מאכל ומשקה, ואם מבחינת תנאי הגידול שלהם וכיוצא בזה, כי עון זה הוא חמור מאד, וה’ יתברך רחמיו על כל מעשיו, והוא שומע צעקת אותם בעלי חיים, ועלול לבא מתוך כך עונש קשה על האדם. ומפורסם המעשה מהרב האר"י בענין זה, שאמר לאשה אחת שלא היו לה ילדים, כי סיבת העונש היא מפני שמנעה דרך נוחה לתרנגולים לשתות מים. ועל כן הזהירו כמה גדולים, ומהם בספר פלא יועץ, שאין ראוי לכתחילה להכנס לזה בכלל, ולא כדאי לאדם לגדל בעלי חיים כלל אם אינו יודע כיצד לטפל בהם שלא יגרם להם שום צער, ובעיקר יש להמנע מגידול בעלי חיים המועדים לפורענות כגון אפרוחים וכדומה, שעלולים להצטער בנקל. ובכל מקרה שכבר נכנסו לדבר כזה, יש להזהר מאד באיסור צער בעלי חיים, לטפל בהם בדרך הראויה להם כדת וכדין

The Prohibition to Eat before Feeding One’s Animal

The Gemara in Masechet Berachot (40a) states: “Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: One may not eat before feeding his animal as the Torah states (Devarim 11), ‘And I shall give grass in your field for your animals, and you shall eat and be satisfied.’” Since the Torah mentions animals before man within the context of eating (contrary to what would have been more proper, i.e. mentioning man first), it is therefore teaching us that one may not eat before feeding his animal. The Rambam and all other Poskim rule likewise. Clearly, there is no distinction between domesticated animals, undomesticated animals, or birds regarding this law and one must feed all of them before eating himself. Thus, if one has a pet in his home and would like to eat something, he must first feed the pet and only then is he permitted to eat.

Regarding just tasting some food before feeding one’s animal, the Turei Zahav (Chapter 167, Subsection 7) writes that tasting alone is not prohibited, as the Gemara writes that one may not “eat” before feeding his animal; we can infer that tasting is indeed permitted.

Nevertheless, Maran HaChida in his Birkei Yosef (ibid. subsection 5) questions this ruling of the Turei Zahav, for the Rif and Rosh’s version of the Gemara is that one may not “taste”; many other Rishonim have the same text. If so, we can infer that merely tasting alone is also prohibited. Indeed, this is the text of the Gemara in Masechet Gittin (62a) that one may not even taste food before he has fed his animal. Thus, even tasting alone is prohibited. Maran Harav Shlit”a rules likewise in his Halichot Olam (page 352).

Regarding drinking before giving one’s animal to drink, the Sefer Chassidim writes that in this regard, man comes before his animal and he may indeed drink before giving his animal to drink, as the verse (Bamidbar 20) states, “And you shall give the congregation and their animals to drink.” Similarly, the verse (Bereshit 24) states, “Drink and I shall also give your camels to drink,” whereas regarding eating the verse states, “And he gave straw and fodder to the camels” and only then does it say, “And [food] was placed before him to eat.”

Thus, halachically speaking, one may not taste any food before feeding the animals one has in his care; however, regarding drinking, one may, in fact, drink before giving his animals to drink. Nevertheless, this only applies when withholding the drink from them does not cause the animals any suffering, however, if they suffer as a result of the lack of food or drink, their caretaker must supply them with all of their needs in any case due to the law of “suffering of animals,” for which the punishment is quite severe.

We should indeed point out that if one has animals under his care, he must be exceedingly careful not to cause them any suffering either as a result of withholding food and drink from them or with regards to their living conditions and the like, for this is a very grave sin and the merciful Hashem hears the cries of these animals and the result may be a very harsh punishment for their keeper. There is a very famous incident related to this where the holy Ariz”l told a woman who could not conceive that the reason for her punishment was because she made it difficult for her chickens to drink water. For this reason, several luminaries, including the Sefer Peleh Yo’etz, advise that it is preferable not to get involved with this to begin with and it is not worthwhile to raise animals at all if one does not know how to take care of them in a way which will not inflict suffering upon them. This primarily applies to raising certain problematic animals, such as chicks and the like, which are easily made to suffer. In any case, if one has already entered this situation, one must be exceedingly careful regarding the prohibition of causing pain to animals by caring for them in the appropriate way, as prescribed by Halacha

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