B"H

The Gemara says elsewhere that a dog can go three days without food. This is because G-d, when he first made the dog, knew that people would not ordinarily take compassion upon dogs to give them food, and therefore, provided for them this means of survival.

Taking this into account, along with what Rav Chaim has just told us about Solomon inquiring about how it was halachically feasible to feed the dogs on a Shabbos, we would still wonder what all the rush was for?! Afterall, dogs can hold off eating for at least three days!

Perhaps Solomon was worried that the dogs would turn on his father, and begin to eat his flesh. When a person dies, the "tzelem" is no longer there. Though, I have heard a story here, in this country, during this last war with Lebanon, how a dog owner on a certain Kibbutz had been killed by a rocket attack. His dog stayed by the body, until he was taken away. It could be that Solomon didn't know what the dogs would do, seeing that they are natural flesh-eaters. If you throw them a dead chicken, they'll devour it! But to throw a living chicken to dogs, is it "Muktzeh Mechamas Issur," or not?

David

Another question comes up...

If a Melech Yisroel is required to always carry a Sefer Torah with him, what is that Sefer Torah's status with respect to being carried outside on Shabbos?

Perhaps wherever Dovid HaMelech was standing when he fell on steps he was also carrying a Sefer Torah in a place permitted to carry non-mukzeh items, and thus his body could have been moved inside, away from dogs, until it was determined that he was in fact dead.

Do we know on what day of the week the boy who was the son of the Shunamite woman was carried up to the attic apartment to await Elisha's revival?

Isn't one supposed to feed his animals first, before feeding himself etc.? Therefore, if that is the case, then one should be obligated to feed the dog on Shabbos or at least give it enough food before Shabbos so that it has enough to last.

quote:

Originally posted by Sam-:
Isn't one supposed to feed his animals first, before feeding himself etc.? Therefore, if that is the case, then one should be obligated to feed the dog on Shabbos or at least give it enough food before Shabbos so that it has enough to last.

I'm not sure, but I thought that only applied to working animals.