309 Raising Birds
In his tzava’ah, Rabbi Yehuda HaChossid warns against raising pigeons and doves in one’s home lest it cause severe consequences, chas vesholom. Elsewhere in Sefer Chassidim, he also speaks against raising birds for aesthetic purposes. The reason for these objections is not very clear, but there have been a number of suggestions: Some have suggested that there must be a Kabbalistic reason for not raising doves and pigeons, and others suggest that since the korban ani (the sacrifice brought to the Holy Temple by the very poor) was comprised of doves or pigeons, raising them could therefore be ominous. Some reasons cited for not raising birds may be that it costs money that could be better spent on Tzedakah, and consumes time that could have been used for the study of Torah and the performance of Mitzvos. Another reason suggested is that in the aftermath of the churban Beis HaMikdash (the destruction of the Holy Temple) one should not engage in pursuits that are purely pleasurable. There are poskim who quote Rabbi Yehuda HaChossid’s tzava’ah and rule that one should not raise doves and pigeons in their home, but that one may have a pet bird in a cage if there is a justifiable reason.