The wisdom of the Jewish tradition provides us with numerous concepts that will not only help us learn to preserve Hashem's resources for our children, but also can provide wisdom for the environmental movement as a whole. Some of the extraordinary concepts in the Torah include:
Harchakas Nezikin: Talmudic restrictions which require the location of certain industries at a distance from the towns where people live. These laws, similar to today's efforts to protect citizens from industrial pollution, teach us about the importance of protecting our neighbors at the same time that we take care of economic development and our industrial needs.
Rambam’s Book of Acquisition: Neighbors Chapter XI: He who constructs on his property a threshing floor or a privy or does work which raises dust and particles of earth and the like must, in order that these do not do harm to his neighbor, do so at a distance where the particles of earth or dust will not reach his neighbor. Even if it is the wind that help carry the particles… he is obligated nevertheless to leave distance enough to prevent damage to his neighbor… because all of the instances are similar to doing damage with one's arrows.
Tzaar Baalei Chaim: Mitzvah not to cause animals needless pain, based on two verses in the Torah commanding us to help our enemy unload a straining animal (Shemos 23:5 and Devarim 22:4).Similarly, we do not plow with an ox and donkey together (Devarim 22:10). The Chinuch says the reason is that this would cause the animals “Daagah” (worry) because one would be stronger than the other.
Shiluach Ha-Ken: Sending away the mother bird before taking her young. (Devarim 22:6-7) The Ramban says that it is related to the prohibition against slaughtering an animal and its kid in one day and gives two reasons for the prohibitions: First, that we should not have a cruel and merciless heart (by causing pain to the mother).The second reason is that “the Torah should not permit us to destroy and uproot a species, even though [the Torah] permits ritual slaughter of this species. One who kills a mother [animal] and her children in one day or who takes them... it is as if she annihilates that species.”
Migrash: an open space around a city (called a greenbelt in environmental parlance).The Torah says that the “open space shall be for their animals, for their possessions, and for all the amenities of life.” (Vayikra 35:3). Rashi explains that this migrash is a space - a vacant area outside the city and around it - to be an aesthetic enhancement of the city. Maimonides, in his Mishneh Torah, cites the tradition that the law of having an open space around the cities does not only apply to the cities of the Levites; it applies "to all the cities of " (Zeraim, Hilchos Shmittah V'Yovel 13:5). The cities of the Levites therefore served as models of urban planning for all the cities of Israel.
This green belt gives urban dwellers a connection to nature, while bringing benefit to their animals, as they can roam and graze there. A city can not expand at the expense of the green belt. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, in his commentary on this verse, explains that the laws of the Torah are designed to prevent the development of huge cities. When the population increases, new cities – not suburbs on the current cities – should be established. Big cities have benefits, but they also have drawbacks in community and connection to nature.
Responsibility to the Land: Devarim 11:10:“For the Land to which you come, to possess it – it is not like the land of Egypt that you left, where you would plant your seed and water it on foot like a vegetable garden. But the Land to which you cross over to possess it, is a Land of hills and valleys, from the rain of heaven will it drink water, a Land that Hashem, your G-d, seeks out; the eyes of Hashem, your G-d are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to year’s end.” In the
land of
Israel , the land itself relies on our relationship with Hashem, and our water resources are directly related to our relationship with Him. In fact, the very next thing after this verse is the 2nd paragraph of Shema, in which we learn that if we observe Hashem’s decrees, we will receive rain in the proper time. Here, our responsibility to the land includes not only tending it, but observing Hashem’s decrees in order to “keep the land” which sustains us.
Bal Taschis: Mitzvah that prohibits needless destruction and waste, based on Torah verses not to cut down fruit trees in wartime (Dvarim 20:19-20).
Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings, 6 Laws 8-10: It is forbidden to cut down fruit bearing trees outside a besieged city, nor may a water channel be deflected from them so they wither…. The penalty is imposed not only during a siege but rather anyone who cuts down a fruit bearing tree in a destructive manner is flogged...And not only trees, but anyone who smashes household goods, tears clothing, demolishes a building, stops a spring, or wastes articles of food in a destructive manner, is in violation of the command “you shall not destroy."
Sefer HaChinuch, Parshat Shoftim, Mitzvah 529:“The root of the Mitzvah (Bal Tashchit) is well known – that it is to teach our souls to love the Good and the Greater Value and to cling to it. Therefore we should attach ourselves to the good and distance ourselves from anything that is bad and any type of destruction. This is the path for Hasidim (Righteous People) and People of Good Deeds – who love Peace and are happy with the goodness of the Creation and draw themselves close to Torah. They do not ever waste anything, even a kernel of mustard. They should fashion themselves in such a way that any wastefulness or destruction that they see – if they are able to (save) prevent it – they should save it from all forms of destructiveness with all their energy.”
*The environmental movement is not without its mistakes. We hope that the wisdom of our tradition, cultivated by Canfei Nesharim, can provide a balanced perspective that will help us all preserve the precious resources of this planet for our children.
** We recognize that this is only a partial list.Some other ideas that may come to mind include:
Shmittah and Yovel: letting the land rest every seven years.
Shabbos: resting and not creating one day per week (done best with Shabbos timers so that you can save energy)
Yodeah Tzaddik Nefesh b’Hemto (Mishlei): a righteous person considers the life of his or her animal.
