1,232. Tzaar Baalei Chayim

190:3 Just as one must guard his body from injury or harm as per Deuteronomy 4:9, "take heed and protect your life well," so must one protect his possessions against loss or damage. If a person breaks utensils, tears garments, wastes food, throws away money, or ruins anything that could benefit a person, he violates the prohibition "you shall not destroy the trees there" (Deuteronomy 20:19).

191:1 The Torah prohibits causing unnecessary pain to any living creature (tzaar baalei chayim). Quite the opposite: one is required to save a living creature from pain. This includes animals that are ownerless or that are owned by non-Jews. However, if an animal is harmful to people, or if it is needed for medicinal purposes or for any other reason, it is permitted even to kill it. In such a case we are not concerned about causing pain to animals because the Torah permits us to slaughter them for food. Therefore, it was technically permitted to pluck feathers from live geese if one didn't have another quill to use as a pen. The practice, however, was to refrain from this because it was considered cruel.