Jewish environmentalism is not just about preserving the planet and recycling.  It is also essentially about appreciating nature and that God is the Source of all.

There is a beautiful Chassidic  story that I think nuances a subtle way in which we neglect to recognize the power and beauty of nature.  Please enjoy:

The child of a certain rabbi used to wander in the woods. At first his father let him wander, but over time he became concerned. The woods were dangerous. The father did not know what lurked there.

He decided to discuss the matter with his child. One day he took him aside and said, “You know, I have noticed that each day you walk into the woods. I wonder, why you go there?” The boy said to is father, “ I go there to find God.”

“ That is a very good thing,” the father replied gently. “ I am glad you are searching for God. But, my child, don’t you know that God is the same everywhere?”

“Yes,” the boy answered, “but I’m not.”

One of the areas of Jewish environmentalism that doesn’t often get spoken of is Shabbat. We most often think of Shabbat as a spiritual time. This is a time for rest but not typical physical rest, rather spiritual engagement, discussion, family time etc.

All of that is true but there is another component that touches on environmentalism. One of the ideas behind Shabbat is the concept of self-discipline and withholding myself from imposing onto the world around me. For one day a week I am reminded that I am ‘part of’ and not ‘owner of’ the world.

On Shabbat I must respect the natural world around me and refrain from interfering in its natural process. I should not be pulling grass our or killing bugs or chopping wood or any of the other ways in which I assert myself onto nature and dictate what should happen.

Take a moment on Shabbat to notice how you can restrain yourself in this way and create yet another level of meaning to the Jewish Sabbath.

The holiday of Shavuot has a special connection with Jewish environmentalism.  Shavuot in the Torah is described as a Jewish harvest of celebration and unity.  The unity first begins in the fields when landowners begin their grain harvest and abide the laws of the Torah by not harvesting the corners of the field.  These corners were reserved for those less fortunate to harvest grain as well.

Since a productive harvest is part of the vision of covenant, it is important that all the people are included and given a chance to participate.  In fact, we can imagine the process of the whole country involved together, harvesting together and celebrating together.

In today’s world, we no longer celebrate our covenant through harvest and pilgrimage festivals.  But the celebration of the Torah and our receiving of it is timeless.  Within the Torah are all the laws of Jewish environmentalism and respect for the world and all creatures in it.  The Torah is our focus document for living our lives and demands respect for the environment even if it is not the popular stand of a secular society.

Celebrating Shavuot today includes remembering that the source of our environmentalism is the Torah and it dates back to the very formation of the Jewish people.

As Purim approaches, many people are busy preparing their ‘Mishloach Manot’, or the gift baskets we send to each other for Purim.

Usually the focus is on what goes into the baskets. With an eye toward Jewish environmentalism, I’d like to focus on the basket itself. When my kids were little we would take paper plates and staple them into triangles so they looked like a giant Hamentaschen. We would fill them and then put coloured tissue paper in the opening to look like the filling. As the kids grew up, they began to receive gift bags from their friends and thought of also sending gift bags.

Rather than going and buying a specific bag to be used for the Mishloach Manot, I would like to suggest a few ideas that would address the idea of recycling items from within our homes to fulfill a Mitzvah.

I am often bothered by the tangerine wooden boxes. They are large and cumbersome. I have seen people at the grocery store ask the cashier if they can empty the tangerines into a plastic bag and leave the box at the counter. Now I would like to suggest taking the boxes home and storing them for use as Mishloach Manot containers. They would be a perfect size for sending something to a family or a group of friends.

For smaller Mishloach Manot, consider saving the empty tissue boxes. They’re also sturdy, a nice size and already decorated.

Instead of using tissue paper to cover the box, it would be nice to use a bandana or kitchen towel.

This way it’s old school with charm and Jewish values.
Enjoy!

One of the main differences between environmentalism and Jewish environmentalism is the underlying reason for the perspective. Regular environmentalism relies on arguments of sustainability of the earth and future generations. There is no question that it is logical and basic common sense to take care of our natural home, but Jewish environmentalism goes beyond that in its reasoning.

We take care of the earth because we are partnered with God to protect God’s creations. It is not left up to our logic or common sense but it enters the realm of Mitzvah, Jewish commandment. And that reasoning not only speaks of the earth and the animals but also of our fellow human beings.

I am commanded to treat every person with dignity and honour because we are all made in the image of God. We protect the earth because it is God’s creation and we respect each other because we are God’s image.

There would be no justification for any Jewish environmentalist to ever treat a fellow human being with anything but respect. Otherwise, the ‘Jewish’ part of the environmentalist has been neglected.

Jewish environmentalism is not measured by the impact we have on nature but by the intent of the person in their behaviour toward every creation of God’s, including our fellow human beings.

There is a wonderful concept that comes through the learning of Jewish Mysticism called ‘Tzimtzum’.  It is the concept of pulling inward into yourself.  It is slightly different in process from self-constraint since self-constraint involves an imposed discipline of limitation.  ‘Tzimtzum’ on the other hand implies drawing inward in order to allow room for the other – space for growth.

I believe this concept is key to many of our interpersonal relationships in allowing room for partners, parents, children, friends etc.  If they get too close to us without our engaging in ‘tzimtzum’, then we feel they have overstepped but if we prepare ourselves by pulling inward, we have created the space for them to draw near to us without intrustion.

I’d like to bridge this concept into Jewish environmentalism.  Rather than viewing sensitivity toward the environment and limiting consumption as a negative thing (negative in the sense of something I’m NOT doing), I suggest we view it as the positive behaviour of ‘tzimtzum’.  By not needing to extend myself onto and into everything around me, I consume less, I discard less and I impose less.  I have an effect on the environment because I exercised my power to withdraw inward and I have thereby created space for the environment and for growth.

I recently had a conversation with a group of young Israelis visiting Toronto for the first time. They will be staying in Canada for the High Holidays and we were having a discussion about how Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur are celebrated in Canada.

One of the most important differences I felt I should share with them is the difference in the climate. They needed to know that in all likelihood it is rather chilly over the High Holidays and they should be prepared. They asked me how people spend their time after synagogue and I mentioned large lunches, family time, time with friends and relaxation.

It was at that point that I heard about ‘Yom Ha-ophanayim’, or ‘Bicycle Day’ in Israel. During the High Holidays and particularly on Yom Kippur, most Israeli youth, whether religiously observant or not, refrain from driving and ride their bikes. The roads are filled with these young bike riders who gather at public squares to update each other on the events of the year and what they plan for the coming year. In my mind I pictured a dozen or so cyclists but I was quickly corrected. Apparently hundreds of them could gather together in larger communities.

What a wonderful way to commemorate the time of the Jewish year that commemorates the anniversary of the creation of nature!

The High Holidays are a time of self-reflection and accountability. There are many people who do not know how to begin this process and for them the High Holidays can be a time of self-guilt, isolation, disconnection and family politics.

The question of self-reflection is addressed by Jewish text in a discussion on why the Torah was given in the wilderness. In fact, Pharaoh had offered Moses to worship God in Egypt and God rejected such an offer. The setting within which we begin to self-reflect is crucial to first steps. (more…)

There are interesting differences between the concept if Jewish environmentalism and secular environmentalism. Within the secular world there is a vast latitude to the meaning of being an environmentalist. That could mean anything from being a person who recycles a newspaper all the way through to Eco-terrorist gardeners (those people who go out in the dead of night to break a concrete sidewalk and plant a garden). One way or another, secular environmentalism seems to imply that one choose nature in its pristine form and preserve it.

Jewish environmentalism has a different perspective on the process. While acknowledging that the Torah records God’s commandment to guard the earth, it also includes God’s commandment to govern and gain sovereignty over the earth. In other words, the Torah has included the idea that humanity and nature will be at odds over certain things. Nature may opt for chaotic and wild expression while humanity must safeguard and fringe order from chaos.

Jewish environmentalism may well include the possibility of needing to level a forest in order to control the chaotic overgrowth of a region, precluding the cultivation of certain other regions. In other words, where environmentalism in general might argue for guarding nature over and above all else, Jewish environmentalism would argue for guarding the total natural picture as it speaks to and from the total created picture.

At times it may look like the same thing, but in it’s essence it is fundamentally different.

What to do with all that Chametz

The history of selling our chametz before Pesach is layered with Jewish creativity, Jewish history, Halachic innovation and the financial challenges of completely emptying our pantries to refill them with Pesach goods, only to then have to refill them again the following week.

There is no question that when this ‘cleansing’ of the cupboards and double-filling becomes a financial hardship, one should consider selling the chametz and reclaiming it afterwards. But fortunately, many of us are not facing financial hardship with our food – we sell it because it is convenient.

In that case, Jewish environmentalism would speak loudly inviting us to use the mitzvah of ‘burning the chametz’ as an opportunity to fulfill other mitzvot.

Unopened food packages should be taken to city food banks and donated. In that way, the food is not wasted and the mitzvah of supporting and sustaining those less fortunate is engaged. It is sad that in our day we cannot donate opened food goods because of health and safety concerns (sad but completely understandable). In that case, we must always remember that our responsibility toward those less fortunate includes all creatures and not just other people.

Opened food packages can be cooked and then left outside for animals. It is springtime and many of the returning and awakening animals are hungry. Cookies, breads, baked goods can be taken to ponds and fed to birds directly. Invite family and friends to join you and now the Jewish value of community building is part of the day. On the other hand, perhaps you prefer a moment of solitude while you do this before the family gathers for Pesach celebrations.

Getting rid of our chametz is not just a stripping away of something but speaks directly to the Jewish environmental commitments to nurture and nourish our fellow creatures. Through the craziness of Pesach prep, it’s lovely to take a few moments of peace and solitude outside with the smells and colours of spring and the sharing of our food.

Each mitzvah should bring opportunity for another mitzvah!