Animals Have Feelings Too
By: Rabbi Asher Block
"And as for you, to take for yourself every food that is eaten and gather it into yourself that it shall be as food for you and for them." (Bereishit 6:21)
This pasuk presents an intriguing scenario where Hashem seemingly commands Noach to prioritize his own provisions before those of the animals. Commentaries are bothered with this verse from a Gemara in Masechet Brachot (40a) which clearly states that it's forbidden for a person to eat before his animals. The question arises: How could Noach have consumed food before his animals in the ark?
At first I wanted to answer this question by positing that the food that Noach gathered was not necessarily from his own property, but from other people whose property would be deemed ownerless due to their eventual demise in the flood. Several Rabbinic Authorities hold that there is no prohibition of eating food deemed ownerless (hefker) before feeding that same food to one's animals (see Tzitz Eliezer 20:74).However the Kli Yakar on his commentary on this verse, states clearly that the food prepared for the flood belonged to Noach exclusively and he didn't take any crops from others.
The Yad Ephraim in his commentary on Shulchan Aruch cites a midrash that the reason that animals are to be fed first is because there are times that Hashem brings food in the world in the merit of the animals when people are not deserving of it due to their sins. The Gemara in Brachot mentioned earlier brings a verse to support this aforementioned halacha, "I shall provide grass in your field for your cattle and (then) you will be satisfied." The Gemara in Brachot (45a) writes that this verse was said when Bnei Yisrael are not following Hashem's will.
Rabbi Akiva Sofer, a grandson of the Chatam Sofer says based on this Gemara that if there is a time in history where it is evident that man finds favor in the eyes of Hashem more than animals, then clearly this prohibition does not apply. Our Sages tell us that the animals were saved on the merit of the righteousness of Noach. Therefore it is now understood why Hashem gave the green light for him and his family to eat before the animals in the ark.