I found a baby Gopher but he died 2 hours ago

[GoIsraelGo!]

Dear Forum members, 2 days ago I was watering my yard, I heard tiny squeals and saw a tiny rodent like creature coming toward me.
I used gloves, picked him up and placed him into a spare tank I had left over for a previous pet.. My husband and I bought bedding for the tank, infant formula and an eye dropper. The tiny gopher seemed to be doing well, he was friendly, took the formula drops and he devoured tiny pieces of grapes. I was hoping he would live and my husband and I discussed keeping him. This morning he took a turn for the worse and died this afternoon.

I know most people don't like gophers and they kill them, but this was a baby and I couldn't kill him. I was hoping to help him but it was not meant to be.


                                                                 Shalom - Dox

[Rubystars]

Republicandox, I'm so sorry to hear that he died. You did a good thing by trying to care for that baby and I think you will be rewarded for your kindness.

[GoIsraelGo!]

Republicandox, I'm so sorry to hear that he died. You did a good thing by trying to care for that baby and I think you will be rewarded for your kindness.

Thank you Ruby for your kind reply. I appreciate it. I know you have a big heart too.


                                         Shalom & G-d Bless you Ruby
   
                                                           Dox


                           

[Rubystars]

Republicandox, I'm so sorry to hear that he died. You did a good thing by trying to care for that baby and I think you will be rewarded for your kindness.

Thank you Ruby for your kind reply. I appreciate it. I know you have a big heart too.


                                         Shalom & G-d Bless you Ruby
   
                                                           Dox


                           

You're welcome, and thank you too! Also thank you for helping that baby gopher  to live a bit longer than it would have!

[Moijea]

I cannot remember where I got this, but I share it as often as I can.

------------------------------------------------

The Talmud and kindness to animals as a Biblical commandment:

According to the Torah, if we see an animal suffering we are required to help it and, all the more so, it is forbidden to actually cause suffering to animals. While we are permitted to use animals for labor, we are not allowed to overwork an animal. A person is not permitted to eat until he has fed his animals. Even when slaughtering an animal for food, Torah law requires us to avoid causing unnecessary pain to the animal.

There are several different Scriptural sources which deal with different aspects of this teaching. The Talmud (Bava Metzia 32a-b) derives the basic concept from Exodus 23:5, "If you see the donkey of someone you hate lying under its load, you might want to refrain from helping him, but you must make every effort to help him." This is not simply an obligation to help your fellow man, but also an obligation towards the animal itself.

The law that we must feed our animals before we eat is understood from the order of the verse, "I will provide grass in your field for your cattle and you will eat and be satisfied" (Deuteronomy 11:15) which places the feeding of the cattle before our own eating.

The underlying principle of all these laws, as well as the laws of mercy to our fellow human beings, is the commandment "and you walk in His ways" (Deuteronomy 28:9) - to follow the ways of God. In Tehillim (Psalms) 145:9 we are taught, "God is good to all, and His mercy is on all His creations." Just as God is merciful to all His creations, so too must we be merciful to all His creations. In this merit God will have mercy on us. Kindness and mercy are among the defining traits of the Jewish people and we are taught that anyone who shows kindness to animals demonstrates that he is descended from Abraham.

The Talmud tells us that the great sage, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, the compiler of the Mishna (the basic framework of the Talmud), was punished for an incident where he was insufficiently caring for an animal, and he was only relieved from his punishment when he showed mercy on some kittens.

There is a story told in the book Charedim by Rabbi Elazar Ezkari (d. 1600) about the Arizal - Rabbi Yitzchak Ashkenazi--the famous mystic of Tzefas, Israel--who was a contemporary of Rabbi Ezkari (who also lived in Tzefas).

The Arizal once looked at the face of a certain Torah scholar and told him, "Your face is marked by the sin of causing pain to animals." The scholar was very disturbed. He investigated the matter and discovered that his wife did not feed their chickens in the morning but instead allowed them to wander through the yard and street to peck for food. He instructed his wife to prepare for them a mixture of bran-flour and water every morning. Shortly after he had done this he met the Arizal again and the Arizal informed him, without knowing about what he had done, that the sin was gone.

[arksis]

Awwwwwww. Elizabeth, I'm so very sorry you lost that baby gopher.  I found a nest with 3 baby birds in it and it was so hot that day! I got some water, put it on my finger and just let it drip down their beaks. Also got some wheat crackers and wet them up with the water and fed them. Left some crackers next to the nest and put it up. This was not in my yard, but over near the lake. Came back 2 weeks later, the nest was still there, but the birds were gone, so I am hoping the mother came back to take care of them and they all lived happily ever after. Animals are such innocent creatures and I can't think of anything else we could ever do BUT help them. God bless you Elizabeth!

[muman613]

Yes, I have fed my cats before I eat for many years now. I posted here , in the Torah section, a piece about the Jewish ideas of caring for animals.

Your piece misses one of the important mitzvot concerning sending away the mother bird when collecting the eggs.. This is one of the mitzvot where the reward is given {the only other mitzvot like this is the mitzvot of honoring our parents}...

The fifth of the Ten Commandments is the command "Honor your father and your mother, in order that your days be lengthened on the land that I am giving to you" [Shmos 20:12]. In Parshas Veschanan we a slight addition to the language used in this command -- we have the qualification "as the L-rd your G-d commanded you" [Devorim 5:16].

http://www.shemayisrael.com/publicat/hazon/tzedaka/motherbird.htm

Sending Away the Mother Bird

"If a bird's nest happens to be before you on the road, on any tree or on the ground - with young birds or eggs - and the mother is sitting upon the young birds or upon the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. You shall surely send away the mother, and only then may you take the young for yourself, so that it may go well with you, and you may prolong your days." (Deuteronomy 22:6,7)

"You shall surely send away the mother" - This is because these living creatures instinctively care for their young, just like human beings care for their young; thus, they suffer when they see them taken away or slaughtered. (Rambam, also known as Maimonides, Guide to the Perplexed 3:48)

Dear Friends,

According to the explanation of the Rambam, the above mitzvah is designed to avoid causing the mother bird the special suffering she would experience when seeing her young being taken away. The Ramban (Nachmanides) has a different perspective on this mitzvah. In his commentary on the above verse, the Ramban states that this mitzvah is related to another mitzvah which prohibits us from killing a mother animal and its young on the same day (Leviticus 22:28). According to the Ramban, both of these mitzvos have the following educational goal: to teach us not to be cruel-hearted. The focus of these mitzvos is therefore on "us" - to help us develop the trait of compassion. Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook, a leading sage of the early 20th century, elaborates on this theme. According to Rabbi Kook, the mitzvah to send away the mother bird, the mitzvah which prohibits us from killing a mother animal and her young on the same day, and the mitzvah to take the life of the animal in a humane way, are to lead to the following awareness:

"Thus, the person will take to heart that he is not involved with a random object that moves about like an automation, but with a living, feeling creature. He must become attuned to its senses, even to its emotions, to the feeling it has for the life of its family members, and to its compassion for its own offspring." (Chazon HaTzimchonut V'HaShalom, cited in "The Vision of Eden")

The Ramban mentions another possible reason for the mitzvah to send away the mother bird and for the mitzvah to avoid killing a mother animal and her young on the same day. Through these two mitzvos, the Torah is teaching us that our need should not become greed; thus, we are to avoid any action which could lead to the destruction of an entire species. A similar explanation is given by the Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 435).

According to Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, the mitzvah which prohibits us from taking the mother bird when she is sitting on eggs or nurturing her young and which requires that we send her to freedom "assures immunity to the mother bird while she is engaged in her activities of motherhood" (Commentary to Deut. 22:6). In his classical work on the mitzvos, Horeb, Rabbi Hirsch adds:

"If you are faced with the possibility of acquiring a bird which may be used for food, but you find it in free creation, serving the cosmic purpose – in that moment you should have respect for it as a servant of creation; do not appropriate it at the moment of its service to its species."

In his commentary on the mitzvah which prohibits us from killing a mother animal and its young on the same day, Rabbi Hirsch discusses a reason for all the mitzvos which limit our power over mother animals and birds. The following is a summary of his comments:

All these requirements amount to one idea: the relationship of the animal mother to her young. We venture to say that this idea reflects that aspect of animal life that shows the beginning of a resemblance to human character. Although egotism, love and concern for self is the powerful drive that stimulates animal life, the selfless love and care of the animal mother for its young comprise the first elevation to that selflessness that characterizes true human love - the godliest trait in the human character. We are to therefore emphasize and respect this elevated trait when we find it among other creatures.

On another level, the love of the mother animal for its young can be viewed as a manifestation of the motherly love of the Compassionate One. In this spirit, the Prophet records the following Divine message to our suffering people:

"Like a person whose mother comforts him so will I comfort you, and in Jerusalem you will be comforted" (Isaiah 66:13)

Have a Good and Sweet Shabbos,
Yosef Ben Shlomo Hakohen (See below)

Related Teachings:

1. Another "mother" related mitzvah is the prohibition against cooking the flesh of an animal in its mother's milk, and the extended prohibition against eating meat and milk together. The source of this prohibition is found in the verse which states, "You shall not cook a tender young animal in its mother's milk" (Exodus 23:19 – translation of Rashi). When I first learned about this mitzvah as a boy, I heard the following reason for this mitzvah: The milk of the mother is used to nurture and continue life, while the meat of the dead animal represents the end of life. It is therefore insensitive and even cruel-hearted to use milk - a source of life - when cooking or eating the meat of a dead animal.

2. The Ibn Ezra, a classical biblical commentator, indicates that the ultimate reason for the prohibition of cooking meat with milk is hidden from us; nevertheless, he suggests that one reason might be because such a practice is "cruel-hearted"; thus, this prohibition is in a similar category with the prohibition against killing the mother animal and her young on the same day, and the prohibition against taking the mother bird together with her young (commentary on Exodus 23:19).

3. According to Rabbi Avraham Isaac Kook, it is indeed cruel-hearted to use the milk of a mother animal to cook its young. He writes: "The mother animal does not live so that a person, simply by his right of ownership, may exploit her for his own purposes; rather, her milk is intended for her own young, whom she loves." (Cited in "The Vision of Eden")

[muman613]

I recently heard the story about Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi...

Rabbi HaNasi was a great sage but suddenly he was wracked with gallstones and gout, for thirteen years. He could not figure out why he was being punished. The reason was because one day a young calf who was going to be slaughter came to him and put his head under the Rabbis robe... The Rabbi pushed the calf away and said "Go to your fate, this is what you were created for!"... It is true according to Jewish law that all animals are under the dominion of humans, for our betterment, and kosher slaughter is the ultimate goal for a calf {or cow}.... While what Rabbi HaNasi said was not untrue, it did not have any compassion...

As a result Hashem , who knows that the ultimate goal of every guf {body} is to lie in the grave, applied punishment to the Rabbi. He was wracked with painful health issues for thirteen years... Until one day his maid was cleaning the kitchen and came across a litter of young weasels. The maid was going to kill the weasels but Rabbi HaNasi spared the weasels... After this his afflictions ended....

Here are some references to this story:

http://www.nachalnovea.com/breslovcenter/review_vision.html

Our sages did not agree with these philosophical views. They tell us that the holy Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi was visited with afflictions because he told a calf being led to slaughter, that had sought refuge in the skirts of his garment, "Go! This is the purpose for which you were created." His healing was also brought about by a deed, when he showed mercy to some weasels (Bava Metzia 85a). Our sages did not conduct themselves like the philosophers, who exchange darkness for light, for the sake of pragmatism. It is impossible to imagine that the Master of all that transpires, Who has mercy upon His all creatures, would establish an eternal decree such as this in the creation that He pronounced "exceedingly good," namely, that it should be impossible for the human race to exist without violating its own moral instincts by shedding blood, be it even the blood of animals.

[Lewinsky Stinks, Dr. Brennan Rocks]

Republicandox, I'm so sorry to hear that he died. You did a good thing by trying to care for that baby and I think you will be rewarded for your kindness.

I have to second what Ruby said. G-d will honor your noble intentions with this dear little animal. I agree that it is very tragic whenever an animal suffers and dies, but I strongly suspect that they will be restored in the World to Come, when the lion will lie down with the lamb.

[GoIsraelGo!]

I felt horrible about his passing but also feel relief to know he is not suffering anymore.
My husband and I buried him in our back yard.

Muman and Moijea thanks for posting the information on animal kindness.

Ruby, Arksis, Bonesfan, Muman and Moijea, thank you all for your kind replies.
All of you are wonderful people that I am honored to have as my forum brothers and sisters.


                                      Shalom - Dox

[Rubystars]

When I had Smokey (a feral kitten) inside for recovery after her spay surgery, I heard a scraping sound and went into the kitchen to see what was going on. Her mother, Blackie, was desperately trying to claw her way in through the window to get to her baby. I guess Blackie figured out where we were keeping Smokey because that's where we had kept Blackie after surgery. I faced the carrier toward the window and they meowed at each other, the baby reaching out her arm to try to reach her mother.

I wanted to let her go, but couldn't right then because she had to stay inside longer to recover from her surgery.

I left them able to look at each other and both of them calmed down, occasionally meowing. At least she knew her baby was ok and safe and still alive.

Blackie was really dedicated, she waited outside that window for several hours a night and sometimes came to visit during the day, and we would place her baby where they could see each other and take the carrier out at night so they could interact some.

When it was time to let Smokey go, she ran right to her mother, running around her in circles, and Blackie began to lick her on her head and body and it was obvious they were very happy to be reunited. I was so happy when Blackie let her start nursing again, both of them seemed to draw comfort from it.

I'm relating this story to reinforce Muman's point that mother animals (mostly birds and mammals, but some others too) do often really love their babies and we shouldn't disregard that.

[GoIsraelGo!]

Ruby, that was very kind deed.     

[Lewinsky Stinks, Dr. Brennan Rocks]

Very good point, Ruby.

Hate to take this on a tangent, but ever notice that 99% of animals are better parents to their offspring than 99% of schvartzes are?

[GoIsraelGo!]

Yep .... you have a point and especially so with muslims....wild animals don't strap bombs onto their offspring and teach them to hate.




                                                                    Shalom - Dox   

[Rubystars]

Thank you dox, and Bones Fan yes that's true. Sometimes mother animals do reject a baby, especially if there's something wrong with it like a defect, or it's the first litter and they don't know what to do, but in general they take much better care of their babies than [censored] do.

[arksis]

What a neat story Rubystars!

Bones fan, yes, I don't think anyone takes better care of their offspring than animals!

My grandma that raised me, was always taking in sick or injured animals and nursed them back to health. Some kids stole a baby Canadian Goose from a park one day, and the were just going to put it out on the street before going home at night. I took her home and my grandma fed and nurtured her. We went to take her to the park, and she flew back to our house! I tried several times, but she would not leave my grandma's side, would follow her everywhere. So she bought her a "kiddie" pool and even brought her in the house at night. Fixed up a corner in the house, set down newspaper and a mirror so she could see herself and not be alone. She even bought a decoy LOL Her name was Baby, and those are some of the happiest memories I have.

[GoIsraelGo!]

Dawn, your Grandmother was an angel!  I have no doubts that you inherited all those great qualities from your family.



                                                              Shalom - Dox     :   )

[arksis]

Dawn, your Grandmother was an angel!  I have no doubts that you inherited all those great qualities from your family.



                                                              Shalom - Dox     :   )

Thanks Elizabeth! I learned so much from her, especially my Patriotism. She was so happy and thankful to be in this country. She put out her US Flag EVERY morning! I feel so fortunate to have been raised by such a wonderful compassionate woman. She had such a hard life, was an orphan when she came here, then raised 5 kids through the Depression. Then in her 70's raised 4 more kids! If not for her, God only knows WHAT would have happened to us or what we'd have become today.

[Ulli]

Sad story.

[angryChineseKahanist]

I don't even know what a gopher looks like.
yeah, I know, city slicker...

[mord]

Very good ,very kind  one time i went hunting with a friend although i really don't hunt it was in the Adirondacks mountains i saw a Bear it looked so cute my friend said shoot.But i didn't so he shot it,but i didn't BTW i don't hunt anymore

[arksis]

Very good ,very kind  one time i went hunting with a friend although i really don't hunt it was in the Adirondacks mountains i saw a Bear it looked so cute my friend said shoot.But i didn't so he shot it,but i didn't BTW i don't hunt anymore

Aw Mord, I don't blame you for not shooting it! My dad was a hunter and he said it was NOT about shooting something, it was more about being out there with nature and appreciating everything.