Illustration Credit: Rebecca Kerzner
Halakhah הֲלָכָה
In our פַּרְשָׁנוּת / Commentary section, we looked at a pasuk about not destroying trees during wartime. Based on this pasuk, Hazal teach that we are not allowed to destroy all useful things in our world, whether it be food, clothing, utensils, or natural resources.
The verb in our parashah for destroying trees is תַּשְׁחִית (tash’hit). The general rule forbiding destructiveness is called בַּל תַּשְׁחִית (bal tash’hit, don’t destroy).
We are not permitted to do anything to food that might make it inedible, like sitting on a backpack and squishing the food inside so that no one wants to eat it anymore (Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayyim 171:1-2).
It’s not a mitzvah to finish all the food on your plate. You definitely shouldn’t overeat or force yourself to eat just because you are afraid that food will go to waste. But you also can’t waste food for no reason. Sefer Hahinukh speaks highly of people who go to great lengths to not waste even a single grain of mustard (Sefer Hahinukh 529)! It’s probably best to take only the food you think you’ll actually eat, and then save the rest for later when you’re done. In last year’s Devash for Vayishlah we saw a midrash, quoted by Rashi, about Yaakov going back across a river to collect some small jars he had accidentally left behind. This is a great example of being careful not to waste even the smallest things!
- We are careful not to destroy any property: public property or our own. However, there are a few exceptions. It’s customary to smash a glass at a wedding ceremony (Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayyim 560:2), and mourners tear their clothing (Shulhan Arukh Yoreh Deah 340).
Here’s a midrash about אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן (Adam Ha-Rishon, the first human) learning the message of bal tash’hit.
בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, נְטָלוֹ וְהֶחֱזִירוֹ עַל כָּל אִילָנֵי גַּן עֵדֶן, וְאָמַר לוֹ, רְאֵה מַעֲשַׂי כַּמָּה נָאִים וּמְשֻׁבָּחִין הֵן, וְכָל מַה שֶּׁבָּרָאתִי בִּשְׁבִילְךָ בָּרָאתִי, תֵּן דַּעְתְּךָ שֶׁלֹא תְקַלְקֵל וְתַחֲרִיב אֶת עוֹלָמִי, שֶׁאִם קִלְקַלְתָּ אֵין מִי שֶׁיְתַקֵּן אַחֲרֶיךָ.
When the Holy Blessed One created Adam Ha-Rishon, God took him and showed him all the trees in the Garden of Eden. God said to him: “See My creations, how beautiful and special they are. Everything I created, I created for you. Pay attention so that you do not ruin and destroy My world. For if you destroy it, there will be no one to fix it after you.”
- Why might God have given this warning to Adam Ha-Rishon right away? What does that teach us about the mitzvah of bal tash’hit?
- What are some ways you could be more careful with property or the environment?
-------------------
-------------------
