Message from Rabbi Donni: The Torah’s Ecological Mandate

Main points:

* Our world is good. Jews have always understood it is a good Earth.

* Shabbat is a truce with nature.

* Natural resources are not to be taken for granted, but are to be used with reverence and a sense of the holy.

* Creation is continuous and the opportunity for renewal is ever present.

From the very beginning, the first chapter in the Torah teaches that creation–our world- is good. After each of the six days of creation, “God saw that it was good.” Jews have always understood it is a good Earth.

Furthermore, it has always been obvious to Jewish readers that the statement that Adam and Eve were placed in the garden “to till and care for it” implied responsibility. They singularly understood the phrase, “And have stewardship over it” as meaning never to exploit and destroy it. In light of the entire biblical structure it was clear that humans were only caretakers and guardians of the earth and responsible for its proper maintenance and enhancement.

A friend strolling with Rabbi Isaac Kook records that: “As we were walking, I plucked some flower or plant. Rabbi Kook trembled and told me that he took great care not to pluck anything unless it was for a benefit. Anything that could grow… there was no plant below that did not have a guardian above. Everything that grew said something, every stone whispered some secret, all creation sang.”

To concretize this idea, the Sabbath, as part of its proper celebration, forbids one to interfere in any way with nature for twenty-four hours. Even animals are to be left at rest. Shabbat is a truce with nature.

The observance of schmitta was introduced to give the land a full year of rest, and it is forbidden to sow fields or prune vineyards every seventh year. On the Jubilee year (fiftieth) land must not be exploited, and slaves must also be freed. It is called a “Sabbath” of the land. It is simply an expression of letting go.

The pilgrimage festivals of Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot reflect change of seasons and celebrate the bounties of the earth. Natural resources are not to be taken for granted, but are to be used with reverence and a sense of the holy.

Irresponsible destruction of the environment, the poisoning of rivers and streams, is not only a physical threat but a sacrilege. The stockpiles of highly destructive weapons are not only a threat to our survival but a sin. The frightening changes brought about in the climate are not merely disturbing, they are demonic. In the face of all this, Judaism summons us out of our apathy and indifference and demands that we act and make a difference.

No one is permitted to endanger existence when there is interdependency. One is enjoined not to be thoughtless and selfish or to recklessly bring harm or destruction to life. This is graphically expressed in a classic midrash:

A man in a boat began to bore a hole under his own seat. When his fellow passenger remonstrated, he replied, “This is my seat and I may do what I wish with it.”

His fellow passenger replied, “Unfortunately, when the water enters, the whole boat sinks.”

The Talmud contains tractates and whole passages dealing specifically with environmental law. Grazing rights are limited if it is harmful to the land (Bava Kama 7:7). Based on Deuteronomy 23:13, the rabbis discuss waste disposal. Aesthetics and reserving natural beauty are emphasized (Bava Kama 82b). Atmospheric pollution is dealt with (Bava Batra, Chapter 2 and Gaonic Responsa). Water pollution is to be monitored (Tosefta Bava Metzia). Even noise is seriously considered (Hoshen Mishpat 156:3).

Animals are viewed with a special sense of concern and consideration in Jewish tradition, for they too are part of the divine plan and partake of creation. Thus, forbidding cruelty to animals is incorporated in the Noachide laws which are enjoined on all mankind. We are given fair warning in the midrash:

“When the Holy One created the first person, God took the first human before all the trees of the Garden of Eden, and said, ‘See how lovely and how excellent My works are. All that I have created for you I have created. Consider this carefully. Do not corrupt or desolate my world. For if you corrupt or desolate it, there is no one to set it right after you.’”

We are being summoned by our tradition, if not the entire universe, by the painful cries of the wounds of our planet. As it was written, “The sages say when one chops down a fruit-bearing tree, the tree cries out from one end of the world to the other.”

Creation is continuous and the opportunity for renewal is ever present. A beautiful line in the morning prayer service expresses this classic Jewish belief: “God’s goodness renews creation day after day.”

A renowned nuclear physicist and a Nobel Prize winner was once walking with a companion along the seashore when he saw a beautiful crustacean.

The scientist picked it up, examined it cautiously and then carefully put it back precisely where he found it. His companion asked him why he replaced it so exactly. The scientist replied, “Perhaps I have already tampered too much with the universe.”

Perhaps we all have tampered too much with the universe. Now is the time to re-form our attitude, rearrange our priorities, and regenerate our planet. It is time for tikkun olam, “repairing the damage done to our world.” Now is the time for all human beings to come to the aid of their Earth.