Page 66 - RMBA Upper School Haggadah 2018

Shulchan Orech - Rabbi Asher Block
Before a pet owner can partake of the meal at the Pesach Seder, or any meal for that ma er,
they first must feed their pets. This law is recorded by the Chafetz Chaim (Orech Chaim, Biur
Halacha 167:3). Commentaries explain that this ac on ins lls in us the sensi vity for the needs
of other living creatures. This requirement applies to all animals, birds, and fish that rely on
people for their food. This Halacha may be puzzling based on a well-known episode recorded at
the beginning of Sefer Breishit.
The verse states in Parshat Noach, “And as for you, to take for you of every food that is eaten
and gather it in to yourself that it shall be as food for you and for them." (6:21). Hashem seems
to command Noach to take care of preparing and ea ng provisions for himself before the
animals. Commentaries are bothered with this verse from the aforemen oned ruling that it’s
forbidden for a person to eat before his animals. How then could Noach have eaten before the
animals in the ark?
The Yad Ephraim (Orech Chaim, Siman 167) cites a Midrash that the reason that animals are to
be fed first is because there are mes that Hashem brings food in the world in the merit of the
animals when people are not deserving of it due to their sins. The Gemara in Brachot (40a)
brings a verse to support the Halacha of feeding animals before oneself: "I shall provide grass in
your field for your ca le and (then) you will be sa sfied. The Gemara in Brachot (45a) states
that this verse was said when Bnei Yisrael is not doing the will of Hashem. Rabbi Akiva Sofer, in
in commentary on the Torah en tled Da’at Sofer, says, based on this Gemara, that if there is a

me in history where it is evident that man finds favor in the eyes of Hashem more than
animals, then clearly this prohibi on does not apply. Chazal tell us that the animals were saved

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