§ The mishna teaches: A person may not raise a dog unless it is tied with chains. The Sages taught in a baraita: A person may not raise a dog unless it is tied with a chain. But he may raise a dog in a city that is close to the border of the country, and in that case he should tie it during the day but may release it at night.
NB: The concern here is damages.
Q1) If the concern is damages, why is it allowed in a city close to a border?
כִּדְתַנְיָא רַבִּי נָתָן אוֹמֵר מִנַּיִין שֶׁלֹּא יְגַדֵּל אָדָם כֶּלֶב רַע בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ וְאַל יַעֲמִיד סוּלָּם רָעוּעַ בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְלֹא תָשִׂים דָּמִים בְּבֵיתֶךָ:
As it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Natan says: From where is it derived that one may not raise a vicious dog in his house, and that one may not set up an unstable ladder in his house? As it is stated: “You shall not bring blood into your house” (Deuteronomy 22:8), which means that one may not allow a hazardous situation to remain in his house.
The baraita continues: Just as the Sages said that one may not raise small domesticated animals, i.e., sheep and goats, so too they said that one may not raise small undomesticated animals. Rabbi Yishmael says: One may raise village dogs, cats, monkeys, and genets, because they serve to clean the house of mice and other vermin.
Q2) From these three sources, what kind of dog is a Jew supposed to raise? Does this match with Quest's personality?
Since the dog risked his life to try to save this sheep when the wolf came to prey on it, the owner should not be unthankful and therefore should give the carcass (when the dog failed and the wolf killed the sheep) to the dog as reward for what it has protected until now. For it is the way of world to appoint dogs to protect sheep from wolves.
(1) And ה' said to Moses, “I will bring but one more plague upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt; after that he shall let you go from here; indeed, when he lets you go, he will drive you out of here one and all. (2) Tell the people to borrow, each man from his neighbor and each woman from hers, objects of silver and gold.” (3) ה' disposed the Egyptians favorably toward the people. Moreover, Moses himself was much esteemed in the land of Egypt, among Pharaoh’s courtiers and among the people. (4) Moses said, “Thus says ה': Toward midnight I will go forth among the Egyptians, (5) and every [male] first-born in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the first-born of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; and all the first-born of the cattle. (6) And there shall be a loud cry in all the land of Egypt, such as has never been or will ever be again; (7) but not a dog shall snarl at any of the Israelites, at human or beast—in order that you may know that ה' makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.
Q3) Consider the commentary from Da'at Zkenim - what is the significance of dogs not snarling during the plague of the firstborn?
ולכל בני ישראל לא יחרץ כלב לשונו, “but against all the Children of Israel not a dog will snarl.” (in preparation to giving the alarm) even though the city was full of corpses and it is the custom of the dogs to howl in the presence of corpses, as well as when they hear people walking at night; in fact there is a popular proverb according to which howling of dogs without visible reason, signifies that the angel of death is about. In spite of all this, on this night in Egypt the dogs kept mum.
The Sages taught: If the dogs in a certain place are crying for no reason, it is a sign that they feel the Angel of Death has come to the city. If the dogs are playing, it is a sign that they feel that Elijah the prophet has come to the city. These matters apply only if there is no female dog among them. If there is a female dog nearby, their crying or playing is likely due to her presence.
Q4) What special qualities does this imply dogs have?
(וַאֲמַר לֵיהּ) רַב לְרַב אַסִּי: לָא תְּדוּר בְּמָתָא דְּלָא צָנֵיף בַּהּ סוּסְיָא וְלָא נָבַח בַּהּ כַּלְבָּא.
And Rav said to Rav Asi: Do not live in a city where horses do not neigh and where dogs do not bark, as these animals provide security and protection.
Q5) Judging from this source and the sources above, what do the rabbis view as the 'purpose' of having a pet? Does this align with how Quest is helping us?
חַד בַּר נַשׁ זְמִין חַד רַבָּן וְאַייתִיב כַּלְבָּא גַּבֵּיהּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ בִיזָּיוֹן אֲנָא חַייָב לָךְ. אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי טִיבוֹ אֲנָא מְשַׁלֵּם לֵיהּ. שַׁבְייָן עֲלוֹן לְקַרְתָּא עָאַל חַד מִינְהוֹן בְּעָא מִינְסַב אִיתְּתִי וְאָכַל בֵיצָיו.
Jerusalem Talmud Terumot 8:3
A person invited a rabbi and let the dog sit next to him [the rabbi]. He said, how did I merit this insult? He said, rabbi, I am repaying his [the dog’s] good deed. Kidknappers came to town. One of them came and wanted to take my wife but he [the dog] attacked him.
Q6) How do we reconcile this source with those above, warning against violent pets?
רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: אָסוּר לָאָדָם שֶׁיֹּאכַל קוֹדֶם שֶׁיִּתֵּן מַאֲכָל לִבְהֶמְתּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְנָתַתִּי עֵשֶׂב בְּשָׂדְךָ לִבְהֶמְתֶּךָ״ וַהֲדַר ״וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ״.
Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: One is prohibited from eating before feeding his animals, as it is stated: “And I will give grass in your fields for your animals” first and only then: “And you shall eat and be satisfied” (Deuteronomy 11:15). In the verse, preparation of food for one’s cattle precedes preparation of his own food. Consequently, it is considered part of the preparation for one’s own meal.
Fun fact: The Rambam expands that one may speak after saying hamotzi in order to make sure a pet is fed before eating.
A righteous man knows the needs of his beast,
But the compassion of the wicked is cruelty.
Q7) What word is used in the text for 'needs', and how is this usually translated?
Q8) EXTENSION
Explore a the soul of a dog: https://www.thejc.com/judaism/rabbi-i-have-a-problem/does-our-dog-have-a-soul-1.441160
Further reading on caring for your dog on Shabbat, guide dogs in the beit knesset and other miscellania:
https://www.daat.ac.il/daat/english/halacha/jachter_1.html