Talmud Bavli
Talmud Bavli

Responsa for Bava Metzia 64:4

תדע דצער בעלי חיים דאורייתא דקתני סיפא ר' יוסי הגלילי אומר אם היה עליו יתר [על] משאו אין זקוק לו שנאמר (שמות כג, ה) תחת משאו משאוי שיכול לעמוד בו לאו מכלל דת"ק סבר זקוק לו מאי טעמא לאו משום דצער בעלי חיים דאורייתא

— [No.] Perhaps it is because financial loss is involved, and the argument runs thus: If one is obliged to load, though no financial loss is involved; how much more so to unload, seeing that financial loss is involved. But is there no financial loss involved when loading [is required]: may not the circumstances be that in the meanwhile he loses the market, or that thieves can come and rob him of all he has!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence the argument must be based on the suffering of the animal, which proves that such suffering must be averted by Biblical law. ');"><sup>4</sup></span>

Teshuvot Maharam

Q. Is a Jew permitted to milk a cow on the Sabbath?
A. No, but because of the danger to the cow in not being milked, one is permitted to tell a Gentile to milk it and keep the milk for himself.
SOURCES: Cr. 182; Pr. 49, 638; Hag. Mord. Shabb. 466; cf. Shaare Teshubah (Geonic Responsa), 221; Asheri Shabb. 18, 3; ibid. B.M. 2, 29.
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