Q&A: Killing a Dog in Order to Receive an Inheritance
Killing a Dog in Order to Receive an Inheritance
Question
A question that several halakhic decisors in Bnei Brak were asked: a case involving a deceased man who left an inheritance to his children, and among it half a million shekels to his dog (arranged through a guardian, and this is indeed legally valid). Is it permissible to kill the dog so that the inheritance will revert to the other children? What does the Rabbi think?
Answer
Who does the dog belong to? If it does not belong to them, they may not kill it. If it does belong to them, then in my opinion there is no halakhic prohibition, but it is certainly not appropriate to do so. Both because one does not just kill dogs for no reason, and because that was not their father’s wish.
All this is assuming that after killing the dog they would inherit the money. It is not certain that this is what the father stipulated. If not, then there is obviously no point in it.
Discussion on Answer
Why not in his right mind? That is what he wanted. This is not to prevent a loss but for the sake of gain. In my opinion it is problematic, but it is definitely not unequivocal.
The Rabbi wrote: “Both because one does not just kill dogs for no reason, and because that was not their father’s wish.”
Seemingly, this is not “for no reason”—they need the money for a livelihood,
and indeed it was not their father’s wish, but a father who leaves his dog half a million shekels is not exactly in his right mind, so why should his wishes be taken into account in such a case?