Q&A: Killing a Viper — In What Way?
Killing a Viper — In What Way?
Question
Suppose I have in my possession a viper, which has been definitively identified by a certified snake-catcher, and it is being kept in a closed plastic box. According to Jewish law, it is necessary to kill it out of concern that it may harm people.
The question is how it is proper and appropriate to carry out the killing:
First option — take the snake to a forest, open the box, and kill it with sticks or stones. The disadvantages of this option are: first, even if I am skilled, there is always some level of risk in dealing with a venomous snake. Second, this is a criminal offense, and if I am recorded while doing it, that could lead to serious legal consequences.
Second option — leave the snake in the car on a hot day, so that it dies from heat and dehydration. Although this option reduces the personal and legal risk, it involves causing prolonged suffering to the animal.
The question is: which is the preferable and more correct way — both from the halakhic perspective and from the moral perspective — given these two non-ideal options?
Answer
A very strange question. There is absolutely no halakhic obligation to kill it. There is an obligation to protect ourselves from it. If the law offers another way, why not use it? I don’t understand this business about dehydration. Does the law allow you to kill it that way but not with sticks? Is that some exemption because it is indirect causation? In short, the question is completely unclear.