Halacha Question And Answer

Based on the rulings of Maran Harav Ovadia Yosef zt”l

Reviewed by Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Yisraeli Shlita

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 Question: Is one allowed to move a fish tank or birdcage from one place to another, on Shabbat?

Answer: No, It is forbidden to move a fish tank or a pet cage of any sort (e.g. hamsters, parakeets or bunny etc.) from one place to another being that it is Muktze (item that may not be touched on Shabbat). However, if leaving it in its original spot can be harmful to the pet (e.g. in the sun, too cold out ect.) one is permitted to move the pet cage.

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 Question: Is one allowed to add water to a fish tank on
Shabbat?

Answer: Yes.

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 Question: If one notices that one of his fish died, is he allowed to remove it from the fish tank on Shabbat?

Answer: Fish are considered Muktze (items that that may not be touched on Shabbat), however, if it can cause great monetary loss (harm the other fish in the tank), one is permitted to remove the dead fish (one should try his best to feed that fish to a dog or cat). However, if it can cause minor monetary loss one may ask a goi (non - Jew) to remove the dead fish from the tank.

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 Question: If, on Shabbat, one sees the water of a fish tank getting too dirty is he allowed to change the water?

Answer: No it is forbidden to change the water to a fish tank on Shabbat (as it usually involves Muktzeh (item that may not be touched on Shabbat), Melachat Tzad (trapping), and Netilat Neshama (slaughtering {by a fish it is under this category when the fins dry out}). However, it is permitted to ask a goi (non-Jew) to change the water.

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 Question: Can one open the door to his bird cage on Shabbat to feed his bird?

Answer:  There is no problem in opening a birdcage on Shabbat. However, one must be careful when closing the door to the cage that he does not transgress Melachat Tzad (trapping). This depends on the situation, if the bird is calm or sleeping and will not budge by seeing the door opened, one is permitted to close the door to the cage after putting the bird food. However, if the bird

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Quick-Bit on Maran Harav Ovadia Yosef zt”l
Which car?

It is well known that Maran was driven around wherever he needed to travel, by a driver in a luxurious car.

Maran didn’t care at all about this. Once, when Maran was about to be driven somewhere, he accidentally got into an

old, broken down car thinking that it was his. Maran didn’t even notice the nice car people recognized as his.

(Rabbi Mordechai Sutton, Rosh Yeshivat Yechaveh Daat)

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