My note says that the Gemara in Chagigah 14b expounds "in your Land" in Lev 22:24 to mean that animals in Eretz Yisrael that ineligible to be brought as sacrifices (i.e., dogs) may not be castrated. The capital L in Land implies Israel. Thus, is there a prohibition against neutering animals outside Israel, and is this Rabbinic?
Barry Epstein, Dallas, USA
The Beis Yosef (E.H. 5) asks your question, and explains that the teaching of "uvi'Artzichem" -- "and in your land" (Vayikra 22:24) did not mean to exclude outside of Israel, as this is a "Chovas ha'Guf" -- "an obligation of the person," (not involving the land of Eretz Yisrael) where we never find a difference between Eretz Yisrael and Chutz l'Aretz. The Gemara there in fact means that any type of animal *found* in your land cannot be castrated. The emphasis here is not Eretz Yisrael, but any type of animal found in a place where people dwell (The phrase in the Gemara is "Kol shebi'Artzechem Lo Sasu" -- "Any (type of animal found) in your land, they should not do (castration)." This translates into any animal at all (I would assume even animals not normally found in Eretz Yisrael, as this is how the Shulchan Aruch rules in E.H. 5:11).
All the best,
Yaakov Montrose