All the Sephardi rabbonim in Elad, including the city’s chief rabbi, HaGaon HaRav Mordechai Malka Shlita, last month signed a psak halacha barring residents from having dogs.
According to the BeChadrei Chareidim report, the psak, accepted by the sephardi rabbonim in the city, cites all dogs are bad, and of late, the rabbonim have noticed there is a growing population of dogs in the city. They explain this is prohibited by the Gemara, citing one who raises a dog is cursed.
The rabbonim explain many are scared of dogs and their barking is sufficient to cause anxiety among residents.
It is added that in specialty cases, medical, security and other cases, the beis din will rule on each case based on its own merit.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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23 Responses
Long Overdue!! Great Move!!
I think falsifying the Torah is much worse and surely brings about a bigger curse than having a dog (who isn’t a “bad dog” like the Gemara says). Think about it – if every dog is bad why then does it say “bad dog”???
Most people who are afraid of dogs have had little contact with them. My daughter was terrified of dogs until her sister brought one home. Guess which daughter became more attached to the dog.
Fun fact: According to Wikipedia, “El’ad is the only locality in Israel officially designated a religious municipality.”
Aside from the fact that these rabbonim have no legal authority to enforce such a prohibition, their underlying premise (“all dogs are bad”) has no basis in fact. While Sephardim in Elad might feel obligated to follow this pask, don’t expect Elad (or any other city in EY) to be canine-free zones anytime soon. First they go after the dogs, then the ferrets and finally they go after the goldfish. Its a slipperly slop.
I’m confused about something. It says in Shemos 22:30 that you should throw treifah to the dog. So clearly Jews had dogs. This is backed up by facts presented in wikipedia and other sites that describe a breed called the Canaan Dog as the wild dogs in Israel who have wandered there since the Romans drove the Jews out and they were forced to leave behind their dogs. The Canaan dogs have wandered the deserts of Israel ever since, and still wander there today, one last remnant of when we lived there before galus.
Also, if all dogs were assur, why would the halacha specify that a person should not keep an evil dog? It would just say do not keep a dog, period.
I’m not saying getting a dog goes together with frum life today, because in many frum communities it is not acceptable simply because it is not done and one should not separate himself from his community – but that is a far cry from declaring all dogs to be evil and all who keep them to be cursed.
I prefer to stick to true halacha and not stretch it even with good intentions because emes is emes and sheker is not.
TO 147–Nonsense. I grew up on a farm in NJ–Would they have said it was assur to have a dog to guard our livestock? Myabe they should say that it’s time to ban our tractors also.Dogs were rewarded for not barking by makas bechoros. I’m glad I dont’ live in Elad. Better they concentrate on human beings who are bad, who speak lashon hara, who do things illegally. Better to take the time to praise those who volunteer for organizations such as misaskim or hatzala. DOGS ROCK!!!!
Yet again, another ruling not based on anything in Torah. Is it any wonder that so many go OTD?
When will they get around to banning people who hire Arabs to work in their homes ? A far greater problem and one that actually endangers the lives of Jews.
Well said, MD
MDshweks, please read the article before you comment
Maybe they are afraid that the dogs are smarter than some people?
I guess there will be a lot of new cat owners now
TGI Shabbos: In Kabbalah, dogs are symbolic of satan and various manifestations of “demonic powers”, and this is where the inyan of not owning dogs may arise for some Chassidus. According to the metaphors in Zohar, evil in the universe can be compared to a vicious dog on a long leash. Since dogs are considered to have the greatest amount of tumah, if you are going to have a pet, cats are much preferred.
Obviously if the Rabbonim came out against it, the situation was bad enough
That’s unfortunate. Cats are actually the bad ones. Dogs are very friendly and loyal animals.
Okay, allow me to give this Psak some context.
The Gemara says that anyone who raises a “Kelev Ra” – a “bad dog” – in his home is cursed. I think that this is a sentiment that would resonate with anyone. There have been many news stories over the years of family dogs that have attacked and even killed children, Lo Aleinu. The Gemara then explores what constitutes a “bad dog”. The Gemara relates a story with a woman who came to visit a neighbor’s home, whereupon a dog in the home barked at her. The owner assured her that he had removed the dog’s canines, and she need not worry. She replied, “It’s too late – I have already miscarried”.
Now, in the times of the Gemara, dogs were common. Those who had herds of flocks of animals used them as sheepdogs. Perhaps they were used in pest control. Today, however, dogs are not really used for these reasons. They are mostly house pets. And in Chareidi society, this is not common at all. So what? Well, if the dog is not necessary, and people are scared – then we are back to the Gemara’s definition of a “bad dog”. This Psak was not meant for New York, Chicago, Baltimore, Karnei Shomron, or even Har Nof. Elad was established as, and remains, a Chareidi city.
It is clear to me even from this somewhat unclear article that if one would need to own a dog, such as a seeing eye dog, or even one recommended by a doctor for emotional needs, then exceptions would be made – as per the Gemara.
mobico, dog breeds today are not the dog breeds of three thousand years ago. Interestingly, two of the few breeds of that time still in existence today are the Pharaoh Hound, a very rare breed that still looks like the dogs in the drawings from ancient Egypt, and the Canaan dog, the breed of the ancient Israelites that still wander in the deserts of Israel ever since we left them behind to go into galus. Almost no other breed from ancient times is still in existence.
Most dogs today have been bred for companionship, not aggression. No matter how much it barks, a 3 pound teacup-sized toy breed dog today will not cause a miscarriage. I would classify pit bulls as the type of dogs we should not keep, not the little beagles you see sniffing suitcases in the airport. A little common sense, please.
In the times of the Gemara, there were also different breeds of dog. The Gemara makes no distinction.
It is unlikely that sheepdogs were aggressive.
The Shulchan Aruch makes no distinction between breeds, and he lived some 500 years ago.
Those in Elad who are scared of the dogs there currently are feeling that way despite your distinction.
I do not find your sense common at all.
mobico: “The Shulchan Aruch makes no distinction between breeds, and he lived some 500 years ago.”
The Shulchan Aruch does NOT forbid all dogs, only “evil” dogs, which you can keep as long as it is chained at all times. (Choshen Mishpat 409:3) But for non-evil dogs, read on:
“For domesticated and ‘well-behaved’ dogs there is no such restriction, and it is permitted to keep such a dog without concern (see Tur, Choshen Mishpat 409; Hagahos Maimoni, Rotze’ach 11:3; Semag, Aseh 66). This lenient opinion is noted by the Shulchan Aruch (Choshen Mishpat 409:3), and this is also the general ruling given by later authorities.”
As I said, no distinction between breeds, unlike your suggestion in your earlier comment.
As for the Heter of keeping dogs, of course that exists, as I mentioned in my first comment. My entire first comment was actually geared toward addressing this very point, viewing it in the context of the Gemara.
I wasn’t talking about breeds in the way you seem to be thinking.
At this point we’re not debating anything important, so I say we drop it. Feel free to write back and have the last word, I’m fine with that.