Rabbi Ackerman's Blog
08/18/2009 - The Torah of Trees
A recent meeting of Beth Am Israel's Kvutzat Yarok (Green Team) got me thinking about this legal statement found in Deuteronomy 20:19-20: "When in your war against a city you have to besiege it a long time in order to capture it, you must not destroy its trees, wielding the ax against them. You may eat of them, but must not cut them down. Are trees of the field human to withdraw before you into the besieged city? Only trees that you know do not yield food may be destroyed; you may cut them down for constructing siegeworks against the city that is waging war on you, until it has been reduced."With this brief but complex case, this week's parasha - Shoftim - provides us with one of the Torah's central statements of environmental concern. I find the description of trees as defenseless of particular interest. Lacking the ability to run and hide, let alone the resources to fend off attack, trees rely on human good will to survive. In it's characteristic way, Deuteronomy deems it our obligation to protect trees, at least in the context described here, by refraining from unnecessarily cutting them down.
The rabbinic interpretation of this passage extends that protective ethos to multiple, maybe even infinite, contexts. Maimonides - the great medieval halakhist and philosopher - summarizes that more expansive notion with clarity and power: "Not only one who cuts down a fruit tree, but anyone who destroys household goods, tears clothing, demolishes a building, stops up a spring, or ruins food deliberately, violates the prohibition of bal tashkhit - 'you must not destroy.'"
Preservation and protection of the world around us, both natural and of human design, stands as a central ethical obligation for Judaism. And in this age of global warming and ever increasing awareness of our all to often damaging impact on the world around us, the obligation not to destroy has become urgent.
Keep on the lookout for new initiatives from Kvutzat Yarok including (but by no means limited to) special programs on Shabbat Noah - October 24th - focused on environmental issues, and a new community wide recycling program here at Beth Am Israel. Enjoy the week.
Previous Posts
08/02/2010 - Palestine in 1912 (Most Recent)04/09/2010 ספירת העומר Omer Counting
03/27/2010 - Time Out From Pesah Cleaning Reading
01/23/2010 - Shavua Tov - A Prayer for Haiti
01/22/2010 - MLK Unity Service - Shabbat Bo
11/24/2009 - Parashat Vayetze & Thanksgiving
10/18/2009 - 30 Tishrei 5770 - Rosh Hodesh Heshvan
10/13/2009 - Rabbi Mordecai Waxman, a Tribute
09/28/2009 - Yom Kippur Sermon 5770
09/27/2009 - Kol Nidre Sermon 5770
09/21/2009 - Rosh Hashanah 2nd Day Sermon 5770
09/21/2009 - Rosh Hashanah First Day Sermon 5770
09/17/2009 - L`shana Tova Tikateivu v`Teihateimu
08/21/2009 - Rosh Hodesh Elul
08/18/2009 - The Torah of Trees (Current display)
08/14/2009 - Parashat Re`eh
08/05/2009 - Tu B`Av [The 15th of Av]
07/24/2009 - Shabbat Devarim-Hazon
07/17/2009 - Parashat Matot-Masei
07/10/2009 - Parashat Pinchas