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Is there a prohibition to say kaddish for a just died pet (yes, an animal)?

This is not similar to this, which asks if there is a prayer for a dying pet, my question is if there is a prohibition to say kaddish for a dead pet. is there a prayer for a beloved family pet who is dying?

This is not similar to this, which asks if a prayer can be said for a dead pet, my question is if there is a prohibition to say kaddish for a dead pet. What prayer may be said upon the death of a beloved pet, specifically, a dog?

This is not similar to this, which only deals whether one can say amen if one decides to say kaddish for his or her dog, but my question is, is there a prohibition for saying kaddish for a pet? Answering Amen to kaddish for a dog

Al Berko
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ninamag
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1 Answers1

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  1. As the Kaddish does not contain holy names, reciting the text is not prohibited.

  2. However, it is completely inappropriate and shows the owner's misunderstanding of the very idea of saying Kaddish, how Kaddish works and what Kaddish does. Animals don't share the afterworld path as humans (you won't enjoy his company in the world of souls, sorry to bring it on you).

  3. By equaling the dog to humans, he also demonstrates his ignorance toward the human and especially Jewish souls.

  4. The workaround would be saying a Kaddish after one's [dead] forefathers and add the [silent] intention to "include" the dog.

Al Berko
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    I agree with your sentiments on #2. But a source for this idea would strengthen it. Esp. the part about afterlife. #4 seems to partially contradict what you stated in #2, and I think diverts attention from the humans for which the Kaddish was intended. It seems to re-introduce the "problem". – DanF Aug 01 '18 at 19:20
  • @DanF THat's why I added [silent]. BTW Can one learn Torah in memory of the dead pet? Once he does a Mitzvah, who cares... – Al Berko Aug 01 '18 at 19:26
  • You don't need any reason to learn Torah! If you want to make a siyum masechta or any type of siyum, go ahead. What's the problem? The only caveat is that if you make a siyum for your dog, you need to serve (kosher) dog food. And invite a mailman or two. – DanF Aug 01 '18 at 20:44
  • @AlBerko this is not an anti-2 or pro-2 comment, but (because you brought it up) I have heard from those who studies kaballah that there're animals in the pre-world (before creation) and/or after-world. – ninamag Aug 02 '18 at 05:54
  • @ninamag THat's why I said "afterworld PATH", there are animals, but their souls don't follow the same path of punishment/reward etc into the afterlife. Kaddish is following only the human path to the afterlife, presuming the souls can still be raised (עליית נשמה) – Al Berko Aug 02 '18 at 07:34
  • מהיכא נפק רוחיה? מהיכא דעל נפק. – Dr. Shmuel Aug 02 '18 at 13:28