with Debra Newbrun
How does Judaism show respect for nature and the environment?
If you have a question for our experts about family life and relationships between people of different faiths, please email us at bridges@sfjcf.org.
When I think about Jewish tradition and our environment, three teachings come immediately to mind that point out Judaism’s guiding principles of respecting other living things.
• Our dietary laws, which define what we can and cannot eat, tell us not to eat meat and dairy together, or more precisely not to “boil a kid in its mother’s milk.”
• In a law against species destruction, we are commanded that a mother bird may not be present if one is to take an egg from her.
• The Torah proscribes wanton destruction – we are told not to cut down fruit trees, even during the harshest sieges of war.
Each of these tenets are examples of how our tradition recognizes and honors the life force of creation and in the first two laws, the relationship of an animal with its offspring.
The cycles of nature and the environment play key roles in many Jewish holidays as well. For example, Passover is not just about freedom, but also about rebirth; Sukkot, which was both a pilgrimage holiday (or a time for ancient Jews to travel to the Temple) and a harvest festival, today is focused on the harvest.
Tu B’shevat, which falls this year at sunset on Sunday, Feb. 8, is dedicated solely to caring for the fruits of the earth. In Judaism, it’s designated as the New Year for the Trees, and in contemporary life is often thought of as a Jewish “Earth Day.”
Literally the fifteenth (tu) day of the Jewish month of Shevat, Tu B’shevat was originally the date selected for tithing – or setting aside a portion of one’s crops for priests in the holy temple. The holiday was forgotten after the destruction of the temple until the Middle Ages when Isaac Luria, a Kabbalist who lived in the Safed, initiated the custom of a Tu B’shevat seder.
The Tu B’shevat Seder, which like a Passover Seder takes place in a specific order, is a ritualized way of paying attention to the things of the earth. It’s about being thankful, and recognizing how the earth provides for us and that we must take action to preserve it.
Look for directions for having your own Tu B’shevat Seder in next month’s Bridges.
Deborah Newbrun is Associate Director of Programs at the Marin JCC and spent many years on the staff at Camp Tawonga. She has directed numerous Tu B’shevat Seders.
« Back to Main Page
|
