[Avodah] Keeping pigs as pets

[Dr. Josh Backon]

]Moved over to AVODAH from AREIVIM at the request of the moderators:
R. Shlomo Abeles had asked about the kashrut of truffles (sniffed out by
dogs and pigs). I and others mentioned this was irrelevant to its kashrut
status. Then R. Zev Sero asked:

>Of course they're kosher.  And yes, it is perfectly OK to play with a
>pigskin football, or to carry a pigskin wallet, or even to touch a live
>pig (e.g. at a petting zoo).  Does anyone know whether it's assur to
>keep a pig as a pet?  About 10 years ago there was a fad for keeping
>Vietnamese potbellied pigs; would this be a problem?  The issue I'm
>thinking of is the curse on pig-raisers that was imposed after the
>story that happened during the war between Shlomit Alexandra's sons;
>is that halacha for all times and places, or was it just a curse for
>that generation, or just for EY, or something like that?


The story about chochmah yevanit (why pigs shouldn't be raised in Israel)
is in Bava Kamma 82b but the issur itself is discussed in a gemara in
Pesachim 23a re: sechora. Tosfot there d"h amar kra differentiates between
nonkosher animals which are not eaten (and thus can be traded) vs. nonkosher
animals (e.g. pigs) which are eaten. Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah Siman 117
discusess the issur of sechora. The Shach there s"k 2 curiously mentions
'aval im eino  mocher l'tzorech achila lo chaishinan". However, the Pitchei
Tshuva there s"k 4 brings down the Pri Chadash "zulat ... l'gadlan babayit
l'ha'achilam" (to his gentile workers). The Chatam Sofer II YD 108 in a very
detailed tshuva on sechora and issur hanaa ends with: u'mikol makom shomer
nafsho yirachek mikol eilu".

PEYRUSH RASHI [tm]: though it may be permitted to keep a pet pig since
you're not going to sell it or eat it, you'd want to follow the 
dictum of the Chatam
Sofer.

BTW it looks like the same problem would be involved in keeping sheratzim
like lizards as pets.

KT

Josh