Question:
Ha Rav,
A local Shul in America has excluded a Jewish female soldier with post-traumatic stress from bringing her small dog to services, even though the dog has been certified as a service dog and wears a coat identifying it as such. Is she allowed to sue the Shul for excluding her from the services, especially the holidays? Please reply asap if possible.
Answer:
Hello,
There are two issues here. The first is whether it is permitted for her to bring the dog into the shul. There is controversy about bringing a seeing-eye dog into a shul. See sources.
Even if it were permitted, according to halacha, a person may not go to a secular court without the express permission of a Bais Din. Going to a secular court makes a statement that the rules of our holy Torah are insufficient, which is embarrassing to our holy Torah. She would first have to go to Bais Din, and they might rule on it (and it seems unlikely that they would award her monetary compensation for this). But if they decide that she may go to court and give her permission to do so, she may.
Best wishes
Sources:
להתיר להביא כלב של סומא לתוך ביהכנ"ס, ע' עיין שו"ת אג"מ ח"א סי' מ"ה להתיר אם ההימנעות מזה יגרום שלא יוכל לבוא לביהכ"נ ויפסיד תפילה בציבור וכו'. ומצד שני ע' , בשו"ת חלקת יעקב ח"א סי' ל"ד מסיק דיש להחמיר בזה ובפרט בימינו שמורא מקדש וקדושת ביהכ"נ צריכה חיזוק. ובס' תורה שלמה חט"ו עמ' קמ"ז (בהערה) מסיק לאסור, ובשערי הלכה ומנהג או"ח סי' צ"ט מצדיק פסקו של האג"מ. אמנם אולי כ"ז בבית הכנסת, אמנם בעזרת נשים אולי אין לו קדושה כ"כ, וצ"ע.
