Long Island's Oldest Reform Congregation
140 Central Avenue - Lawrence, NY 11559
(516) 239-1140
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Judaism is Environmentally—Conscious? Throughout Judaism and our most sacred texts, we are commanded to respect the natural world around us and adhere to the law of bal tashchit, or don’t waste. The law applies to anyone who destroys trees, breaks dishes, tears clothes, demolishes a building, clogs a spring or ruins food in anger. The law is based upon the belief that the earth belongs to God, and it is our responsibility to use this irreplaceable gift judiciously. To that end, there are prohibitions in Judaism against cutting down fruit-bearing trees, even if chopping them down would facilitate the defeat and capture of an enemy city. We are commanded every seven years to give the land a rest and not plant anything in much the way we observe Shabbat, which is the seventh day of the week that represents the day of rest. In fact, Shabbat may represent the ultimate ecological experience in that we are directed to refrain entirely from manipulating our environment. |
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