Within our discussion of trapping animals this week, we discussed whether this applies to domesticated animals, such as cows, horses, and dogs. It is important to note that the Torah does clearly require a person’s animals to rest on Shabbat, and they may not be used for work. What is the reason why the Torah insists that animals not perform melacha on Shabbat? Rav Asher Meir suggests the following:

“...This prohibition applies only to animals we own. We have an intimate connection with our possessions, which can be considered an extension of ourselves... The sense of connection to our possessions is even greater with our animals, with whom we share a certain empathy. This empathy is behind the many laws that command us to act humanely towards animals... This empathy is so great that the animal of a saintly person absorbs some of its master's qualities, so much so that our Sages say that "God does not bring about a mishap through the beast of a tzaddik" (Chullin 6a)... There is also a famous story of a cow that became so accustomed to resting on Shabbat that even when she was sold to a non-Jew she refused to do any work on Shabbat (Maharil Likutim 104).

This idea of empathy can explain as well why we are not allowed to trap animals on Shabbat, since this, too, stands in contrast to the value of empathy and trying to give them as well a “pleasant” Shabbat experience.

May we merit that Shabbat permeates all aspects of our home, every week.

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Dedicated by Fran Broder as a zechus for everlasting peace in Eretz Yisrael in the merit of learning Hilchos Shabbos.