Judaism and the Environment in the Talmud

Because of the increased awareness of issues of animal cruelty it has become very politically incorrect to wear fur coats.  Even most Orthodox Jews wouldn’t feel comfortable (or even be seen dead) wearing a fur coat.  However, is it against Jewish law for Jews to wear fur which has been harvested from an animal?

The Nodeah Beyeuhda (18^th century Eastern European Scholar) was asked by a wealthy Jewish landowner if recreational hunting was permitted by Jewish Law? He replied that recreational hunting was completely contrary to both the letter and the spirit of Jewish law since the only hunters we can find in the Bible where Esau & Nimrod who were not known to be the most moral of people.  According to the Nodeah Beyhuda, Jewish Law permits us to kill wild animals such as lions & bears only in situations where they have ventured into populated areas and have already killed a person (Sanhedrin 15B).  If they haven’t killed a person one is not permitted according to Halacha to kill these animals (Rambam Sanhedrin 5:2). If that is the case, than certainly we aren’t permitted according to Halacha to venture into the wild and to seek out game in order to hunt them down, merely for the thrill of the hunt.   According to the Nodeah Beyehuda the hunter who risks his life by venturing into the wild merely for the sake of recreational hunting is even committing a sin by risking his own life and will not merit any divine protection. In summary the Nodeah Beyehuda believes that recreational hunting is simply a cruel and unjustifiable act.

It is important to note that the Nodeah Beyehuda doesn’t ban hunting in cases of necessity such as for food, fur, or for commerce. He equates such hunting with the slaughter of domesticated animals and the catching of fish which is permitted by Jewish law. Therefore, it would appear that it is not against Jewish law to wear fur which is has been harvested from an animal because it is no different than eating the meat of animals, fish or fowl which is permitted.

However, the reason why wearing fur has become out of fashion is mostly because of the cruel practices used in raising the animals whose fur is to be harvested.  Many of those practices are clearly in violation of the Torah prohibition of Tzaar Baalei Chayim (Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and one has to wonder when wearing an item of fur under what circumstances that animal was raised and killed. It is true that the poultry that we eat and the beef that we grill are also at times subject to less than ideal conditions regarding Tzaar Baalei Chayim – something that we should give appropriate thought and action to. On a psychological level, the poultry and meat that we eat is only glimpsed fleetingly, but the fur that we wear is a constant reminder of the history and the fate of its previous owner.

Is kindness to people more important?

Who is considered more righteous, someone who is concerned with the needs of other people or one who is concerned with the creation? Or to put it differently, are social workers and other baalei chessed fulfilling G-d’s will more than environmentalists?

According to the Talmud, it would appear that if a person wants to be righteous he should involve himself with helping people and not solely with preserving and protecting the creation. The Talmud in Kiddushin 40 gives four examples of actions which merit reward in this world and the next: honoring one’s parents, doing kind deeds for other people, making peace between people, and learning/teaching Torah. The Talmud asks why someone who performs the mitzvah of shiluach haken (sending a mother bird away from its nest when taking the eggs) is not included in this list? It says elsewhere that one who performs the mitzvah of shiluach haken is  “For his benefit (in this world) and that he has  long days (in the next world).” So why is he not considered amongst  those righteous who have merit  in this world and in the  world to come?

The Talmud explains that there are two types of good people, those who are purely righteous and those that are just good people.  The purely righteous merit reward in this world and in the world to come because they are tov lashamayim and tov labriyot – they are good to G-d (by following his commandments) and are good to other people. Those who are just good people merit reward only in the world to come because they are tov lashamyim veraa laberiyot. What is the meaning of veraa laberiyot?  The Talmud explains that it is referring to people who are observing G-d’s commandments such as shiluach haken which is a mitzva ben adam lamakom but aren’t necessarily involved in helping others. Therefore, they have reached the level of just good people who will receive merit only  in the world to come, but not pure righteousness.

From this Gemara it would seem that to be a purely righteous person, it is not enough to be only concerned with preservation of the creation, which is considered a mitzvah between man and G-d. If this is indeed correct, should I give up my environmental activism and return to my former profession as a social worker, which would keep me safely on the path to becoming a completely  righteous person B’H ?

Yet perhaps this is where modern environmentalism often differs from the idea behind shiluach haken which is primarily for the sake of heaven, or for the sake of sparing the mother bird from pain. For most modern environmentalism is really about people.   As my friend and colleague Professor Alfred Fischbein says, “I tend to emphasize that the ultimate recipient in society of environmental hazards is man.”  Therefore many of today’s environmentalist, whose focus is just as much on preserving the wellbeing of mankind as of the rest of creation, can definitely be considered tov lashamyim and tov labriyot. I guess there is still some hope for me!

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The Gemara states that the land of Israel is described in Jeremiah 3:19 as the “land of the deer”. Why a deer? The deer has a very special property that other animals don’t. After a deer is killed and it’s skin is removed the skin shrinks and can no longer contain or cover the carcass of the deer. The skin fit the deer only as long as it was on the deer.   So too the land of Israel is considered to be the skin of the Jewish people. As long as Jews are setlled in it it grows with them and can supply them with all of their needs but as soon as the Jews leave their skin the land “shrinks” and can no longer meet the needs of those living in it.

Just as King Solomon communicated with the Animal kingdom so did other people in talmudic times.  The Gemara tells of a story of Rav Eelish who was taken captive and held together with a non Jew who was able to communicate with birds. One day a raven came to Rav Eelish and was trying to communicate with him. Rav Eelish who did not understand what the bird was saying asked the non jew to translate for him. The non Jew said the raven is saying “Rav Eelish run, Rav Eelish run.” (now is an opportune time for you to make an escape). Rav eelish said the raven can not be trusted for he did not fulfill the task which Noach asked of him at the end of the flood.

Meanwhile came a dove and was trying to communicate with him. Again  the Rav asked of the non Jew to translate for him what the dove woud like to say.  The non Jew said the dove is saying “Rav Eelish run, Rav Eelish run”. Said Rav Eelish it may very well be that the non Jew is lying to me but since the jewish people are compared to a dove and since the dove called me perhaps a miracle will happen for me and I will be able to make my escape.

Asks the Gemara ‘Why was the basket in which Moses was placed into the Nile only tarred from the outside and not from the inside as well?” the Gemara answers so that the the baby Moses should not have to smell the bad odor of tar.