What to Do If You See a Cockroach on Shabbat

What should you do if you suddenly spot a cockroach in your house on Shabbat?

According to halacha (Jewish law), it’s forbidden to trap a living creature on Shabbat. That includes cockroaches, spiders, or other insects. However, if the bug causes fear, distress, or discomfort to the people in the home, there is a permitted solution. You may cover the insect with a large bowl or container to trap it in place not to kill it, but just to contain it until after Shabbat.

This is allowed because the act of trapping in such a case is only rabbinically prohibited (not from the Torah), and the rabbis did not apply their rule when a person is experiencing discomfort in their own home.

What about slow-moving creatures, like a turtle? Is it still called “trapping” if it barely moves and is easy to catch?

Some authorities have suggested that catching slow-moving animals like turtles might not be considered trapping. This opinion is mentioned in the sefer (book) Shmirat Shabbat K’Hilchata. However, according to Chazon Ovadia, this view is not accepted in halacha. Even if the animal is easy to catch, the prohibition of trapping still applies.

These halachot are from Ach Tov VaChesed – Daily Halacha, based on the rulings of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.