Shabbos Shira - Feeding Birds (Cont'd)

Q. There is a minhag to put out crumbs for the birds in honor of Shabbos Shira (Parshas Bishalach). Should this be done on Friday, or may this be done even on Shabbos?

A. The Magen Avrohom (324:7) writes that some have a custom to put out bird seed on Shabbos Shira. The Magen Avrohom says this is not a valid minhag. It should not be done because Chazal prohibited feeding wild animals or birds on Shabbos. Since we have no responsibility to feed wild animals and birds, it is an unnecessary exertion (tircha shelo l’tzorech), which is not permitted on Shabbos. The Mishnah Berurah (324:31) and many other poskim cite the Magen Avrohom as the accepted halacha. However, the Aruch Hashulchan (OC 324:3) defends the custom. The bread crumbs are not put out for the sake of the birds but for our benefit, to remind us of that the splitting of the sea was a joyous occasion, and even the birds joined in singing shira. The Aruch Hashulchan also quotes Tosofos Shabbos who writes that feeding the birds on Shabbos Shira is permissible because it is a mitzvah to show our appreciation to the birds for singing Shira. (Cf. the Magen Avrohom 324:7 who allows feeding a stray dog on Shabbos because it is a mitzvah, since a dog struggles to find food.) The Tzitz Eliezer proposes another reason to be lenient. Since the crumbs are put out when there are no birds present, it does not appear that one is feeding the birds. Although many poskim explain this minhag with creative suggestions, the common custom is to put out the seeds or crumbs on Friday afternoon before Shabbos begins.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.