Q. Every Shabbos on the last few months a squirrel shows up at the window of our house at the exact time when we make hamotzi in the day, because my kids feed it with a small piece of chalah. Is that permitted?
A. On question 2296 regarding feeding pigeons on Shabbos we wrote: “One is permitted to feed the animals he owns and he has to take care for (Talmud Shabbos 155b, O.H. 324: 11). However, even if the animals are his, if he does not have to feed them and they can usually find food for themselves as most flying birds do, it would be prohibited to feed them, as it is considered “Tircha Yeseira” (Mishna Berura ibid. 29, 31), even on Shabbos Shirah. Shulchan Aruch mentions doves in his prohibition.”
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that you should not feed a wild squirrel on Shabbos.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as advised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit’a
Leave A Comment