Bal Tashit - Start of the Jewish Ecological Position

Do not Destroy....

I found two sites with good discussions to continue the Torah Study discussion:

Jewish Environmental Ethics

and

The Modern Environmental Movement: Jewish Perspectives by Preston Hunter

What is wanton destruction anyway?

How did we get from not cutting down fruit trees - to destroying almost anything?

Rambam created the doctrine of Bal Tashit "do not destroy" as he interpreted Deut 20:19-20 to apply to not only cutting trees but also to causing the destruction of them by other means such as diverting their water. He took it another step to destroying things that might contribute to the 'greater good'. And thus the Jewish perspective on ecology has evolved further through time to influence our attitude toward willful destruction and it can be extended to 'conspicuous consumption' as well.

Then there is the Talmudic Story (Shabbat 129) (found on path.com)

"...during one cold spell Rabbah threw a wooden chair into the fire, in place of firewood, in order to warm the house. Abaye then turned to him and asked: Are you transgressing the prohibition of Bal Tashhit? According to the Talmud, Rabbah responded: that it is better to prevent a destruction of his body (health)...."

What can we learn from this story about the boundaries of the prohibition.


The lesson is that we should consume in a simpler way, and a deliberate way.... think more about what we need and don't destroy what will help us in the future.

And to extend this while researching this I found another interesting article on ethics that is related:

The Impact of Jewish Values
on Marketing and Business Practicesby Hershey H. Friedman