Halachos Pertaining to the “Torah” Table (33)
Wasting, Ruining, or Degrading Food (cont.) Small amounts of food (less than the volume of half an egg) or drink (less than 3 oz.) are not included in the prohibitions of wasting and degrading food (1). Therefore, if one leaves over these small amounts on his plate or in his cup, he can throw them straight into the garbage can. Technically, this is permitted even by bread and mezonos, however, if one treads on them or disposes of them in a degrading manner it can bring him to poverty (2). He should wrap them before throwing them into the garbage can, but by other foods this is not necessary, as explained.
The Current Dilemma. By bigger seudos and simchos, there are large, untouched pieces of food that are just thrown away. They become repulsive, ruined and wasted in the process. Is there any justification for this? Rav Y. S. Elyashiv Shlit’a was asked this regarding simcha halls. He answered (3) that since the expense of choosing, wrapping, storing, etc., of the untouched food is more than the food itself is worth, it may be thrown away (some (4) extend this to not having to waste alot of time, and not having to go to meaningful bother), but in an honorable manner. Many just roll up the disposable table cloth and throw it away as is. This alone is not enough because while rolling, untouched rolls and cake for example, become soggy, dirty and repulsive. The correct way is to quickly remove the untouched food into a separate bag, roll up the rest and keep them separate in the garbage. As much as possible one should “beautify” his simcha with advance planning by not putting out crazy amounts of food, or by having a good charitable use for the leftovers.
Feeding Animals. Rav Huna states (5) that it is forbidden to feed animals food that is fit for human consumption. Rashi explains that doing so is a blatant and defiant display of denying the proper appreciation one should have to Hashem for the bounty of food that He showered on him. In a second explanation, Rashi says that one is not allowed to waste Jewish money. Even though it seems that no one argues on Rav Huna, the Machatzis Hashekel (6) is in doubt if we hold like him since his words are not codified in the Shulchan Aruch. The other Poskim seem to hold like Rav Huna but they mention a number of leniencies:
1) If the animal will die or get sick and other animal food is not available (7). Even if other animal food is available but involves a huge effort or significant expense to get it, one can be lenient (8).
2) If food is left over from a meal and will anyway not be eaten by people, it may be given to animals (9). This justifies what some people do when they shake out a table cloth for animals and/or birds to eat the crumbs and leftovers. (Pieces of bread and food less than the size of an olive [half an egg] are not significant and can be destroyed.) Certainly they can be thrown to the birds and animals except for the “Hamotze piece” leftovers which, because of its special quality cannot be given to a gentile or an animal, even a piece smaller than the size of an olive.
3) Some Poskim (10) are lenient if the food is not yet ready to eat, either because it is raw or not ground up, etc.
(1) פרי מגדים או"ח רצו, אשל אברהם ג' (2) או"ח קפ:ד (3) עץ השדה יא:א (4) שם (5) תענית כ: (6) משנה ברורה קעא:יא (7) קצות השלחן לט:ל (8) פסקי תשובות קעא:לח (9) בית ברוך מה:לה (01) שואל ומשיב ב:ב:עב