Why a Level 4 dedicated to the Alter Rebbe? The Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch is not a commentary on the Mechaber — it is an autonomous and complete Shulchan Aruch. Its uniqueness: it combines halachah + ta'amei hamitzvos + inner dimension in a single work.
For Chabad, the Alter Rebbe is the posek acharon. This page gathers, for siman של"ב, the full text of the Rav, his chiddush, and the divrei haRebbe that illuminate the topic.
שלחן ערוך הרב — סימן של"ב
The full text of the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch
סימן של"ב — שֶׁלֹּא לְיַלֵּד הַבְּהֵמָה בְּשַׁבָּת — וּבוֹ ג סְעִיפִים
Source: Kehot edition, as reproduced on Sefaria. 3 se'ifim + 0 entries of Kuntres Acharon.
סעיף א שֶׁלֹּא לְיַלֵּד הַבְּהֵמָה בְּשַׁבָּת וּבוֹ ג' סְעִיפִים: אֵין מְיַלְּדִין אֶת הַבְּהֵמָה...
שֶׁלֹּא לְיַלֵּד הַבְּהֵמָה בְּשַׁבָּת וּבוֹ ג' סְעִיפִים:
אֵין מְיַלְּדִין אֶת הַבְּהֵמָה, וְלֹא אֲפִלּוּ מְסַעֲדִין, דְּהַיְנוּ לֶאֱחוֹז בַּוָּלָד שֶׁלֹּא יִפּוֹל לָאָרֶץ. וְכֵן שְׁאָר צָרְכֵי הַוָּלָד שֶׁהִתִּירוּ לִטְרוֹחַ בָּהֶם בְּיוֹם טוֹב כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִמָּן תקכ"ג — אָסוּר לִטְרוֹחַ בָּהֶם בְּשַׁבָּת:
Not to deliver an animal on Shabbos — and it contains 3 seifim:
One does not deliver a beheimah (animal), nor even assist it — that is, to hold the newborn so that it does not fall to the ground. Likewise, the other needs of the newborn that they permitted one to take trouble with on Yom Tov, as will be explained in siman 523 — it is forbidden to take trouble with them on Shabbos:
סעיף ב אֵין מְפַרְכְּסִין לִבְהֵמָה גִּלְדֵי מַכָּה, וְלֹא סָכִין מַכָּתָהּ בְּשֶׁמֶן...
אֵין מְפַרְכְּסִין לִבְהֵמָה גִּלְדֵי מַכָּה, וְלֹא סָכִין מַכָּתָהּ בְּשֶׁמֶן, שֶׁאָסוּר לִטְרוֹחַ בִּשְׁבִיל בְּהֵמָה.
בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים? בִּגְמַר מַכָּה, שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹשֶׂה לָהּ אֶלָּא לְתַעֲנוּג בְּעָלְמָא, אֲבָל כְּשֶׁלֹּא נִתְרַפְּאָה הַמַּכָּה שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ צַעַר מִמֶּנָּה — מֻתָּר לִטְרוֹחַ בִּשְׁבִילָהּ:
One does not pull off scabs from an animal's wound, nor anoint its wound with oil, since it is forbidden to take trouble for an animal.
When does this apply? When the wound is at its final stage of healing, where one is doing it only for its mere pleasure. But when the wound has not yet healed and the animal has pain from it — it is permitted to take trouble for it:
סעיף ג אִם אָכְלָה כַּרְשִׁינִין הַרְבֵּה וּמִצְטַעֶרֶת — יָכוֹל לַהֲרִיצָהּ בְּחָצֵר...
אִם אָכְלָה כַּרְשִׁינִין הַרְבֵּה וּמִצְטַעֶרֶת — יָכוֹל לַהֲרִיצָהּ בְּחָצֵר כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּתְיַגֵּעַ וְתִתְרַפֶּה, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁזֶּהוּ רְפוּאָה לָהּ, וְעַל כָּל רְפוּאָה גָּזְרוּ מִשּׁוּם שְׁחִיקַת סַמָּנִים, מִכָּל מָקוֹם בִּרְפוּאַת בְּהֵמָה לֹא גָזְרוּ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵין אָדָם בָּהוּל כָּל כָּךְ עַל רְפוּאַת בְּהֶמְתּוֹ שֶׁיָּבֹא לִשְׁחוֹק סַמָּנִים. וְכֵן אִם אָחֲזָה דָּם — יָכוֹל לְהַעֲמִידָהּ בְּמַיִם כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּצְטַנֵּן. וְאִם הוּא סָפֵק שֶׁאִם לֹא יַקִּיזוּ לָהּ דָּם תָּמוּת — מֻתָּר לוֹמַר לְנָכְרִי לְהַקִּיז לָהּ, שֶׁמִּתּוֹךְ שֶׁאָדָם בָּהוּל עַל מִיתַת בְּהֶמְתּוֹ אִם לֹא נַתִּיר לוֹ עַל יְדֵי נָכְרִי — יָבֹא לְהַקִּיז בְּעַצְמוֹ:
If [the animal] has eaten much vetch (karshinin) and is suffering — one may make it run in the courtyard so that it tires itself out and grows weak [from the indigestion]. And even though this is a remedy for it — and the Sages decreed against any remedy on account of the grinding of medicinal ingredients — for the healing of an animal they did not decree, because a person is not so anxious about the healing of his animal that he would come to grind ingredients. Likewise, if [the animal] is seized with congestion of blood — one may stand it in water so that it cool off. And if it is doubtful whether, if they do not let blood from it, it will die — it is permitted to tell a non-Jew to let blood from it; for since a person is anxious about the death of his animal, if we did not permit him to do so by means of a non-Jew, he would come to let blood himself:
חידושים מיוחדים של הרב
The Rav's chiddushim on this siman
Originalities that distinguish the Alter Rebbe on siman של"ב. Each chiddush follows the structure: classical position → chiddush of the Rav → practical consequence.
חידוש א — tza'ar baalei chayim (332:2-3)
Chiddush א — tza'ar baalei chayim (332:2-3)
Animal suffering as the deciding factor
Classical position: —
The chiddush of the Rav: the Alter Rebbe articulates: the evident suffering of the animal lifts the gezeirah. But acting indirectly (non-Jew) remains preferable.
Practical consequence: tool for farmers: arrange a non-Jewish helper for critical weekends.
סיכות, מאמרים ואגרות הרבי
The Rebbe's words on the themes of siman של"ב
| Reference | Topic | Link with siman של"ב |
|---|---|---|
| Likkutei Sichos — various sichos on the subject | Application of the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch siman של"ב | The Rebbe cites the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch siman של"ב and articulates modern application. |
| Igros Kodesh — responses on practical cases | Practical cases related to the siman | Rebbe's responses to Chassidim on practical questions arising from this siman. |
⚠ Validation: the references above are research leads to be verified against the physical Kehot volumes. The most direct source for the Rebbe's pesakim by siman remains Sha'arei Halachah u'Minhag.
הלכה למעשה — מנהג חב״ד
Practical Chabad conduct
Points of halachic conduct that flow directly from the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch siman של"ב, in the Chabad sensibility.
For the Chabad Chassid — Siman של"ב
- ① Do not help an animal give birth on Shabbos (gezeirah). Reference: Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch 332:1.
- ② Tza'ar baalei chayim: indirect help (non-Jew) is OK. Chiddush א of the Rav. Reference: Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch 332:2-3.
⚠ This section presents Chabad halachic conduct. For any concrete question: consult your Rav.