Illustration Credit: Chaim File
Halakhah הֲלָכָה
Do you have a pet? How many times a day do you feed them? When you are hungry, do you ever think about whether your pet is hungry? The Talmud gives us clear guidance about how we should behave in this regard:
אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: אָסוּר לָאָדָם שֶׁיֹּאכַל קֹדֶם שֶׁיִּתֵּן מַאֲכָל לִבְהֶמְתּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "וְנָתַתִּי עֵשֶׂב בְּשָׂדְךָ לִבְהֶמְתֶּךָ" וַהֲדַר "וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ."
Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: A person may not eat before feeding their animals, as it says: “And I shall give you grass in your field for your animals” and only later does it say, “And you shall eat and be satisfied” (Devarim 8:10).
Rav is reading carefully. He notices that in Devarim chapter 11, the second paragraph of the Shema, the Torah first talks about God giving food for animals and only then talks about us (humans) eating. He learns from here that you have to make sure your animals are fed and aren’t hungry before you sit down to your own dinner.
But what if you are thirsty? Another source draws on this week’s parashah to reach a different conclusion:
לְעִנְיַן צִמְאוֹן אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה יִתְּנוּ לָאָדָם תְּחִלָּה וְאַחַר כָּךְ לִבְהֵמָה דִּכְתִיב..."וְהִשְׁקִיתָ אֶת הָעֵדָה וְאֶת בְּעִירָם." הָעֵדָה תְּחִלָּה וְאַחַר כָּךְ אֶת בְּעִירָם.
With regard to drinking, people can drink first and only later give to their animals, as it says [in Parashat Hukkat], “And you shall give water to the community and to their flocks” (Bemidbar 20:8). First the community and then the flocks!
When Moshe is told in this week’s parashah to give water to the thirsty people, God says to first give water to the human beings and only then to the animals.
Why would drinking and eating have different rules?
One later commentator suggests two possibilities:
- Thirst is more intense than hunger, so we let you take care of yourself first;
- Eating a meal is a longer process and you may get caught up in it and forget about your pets and their needs. (Har Tzvi OH I:90)
So, next time you’re about to sit down to eat, don’t forget to feed your pets first. But if you are thirsty, drink up, and thank this week’s parashah!
-------------------
-------------------
