Passover Lessons That Can Produce a Sustainable Environment
Animals: Tradition - Philosophy - Religion Article from All-Creatures.org
FROM
Richard H. Schwartz,
Jewish Vegetarians of North America
April 2015
Passover would be a wonderful time to
increasingly apply Jewish values in response to the many current
environmental threats to humanity, in efforts to move our imperiled planet
onto a sustainable path.
In view of the many current environmental crises that face the world today,
this is a good time to consider environmental messages related to Passover
and the events and concepts related to the liberation of the Israelites from
Egypt.
(1) Today's environmental threats can be compared in many ways to the
Biblical ten plagues:
- When we consider the threats to our land, water, and air, we can easily
enumerate ten modern "plagues". For example: (1) climate change (2) rapid
melting of glaciers and polar ice caps (3) destruction of tropical rain
forests (4) acid rain (5) soil erosion and depletion (6) loss of
biodiversity (7) water pollution (8) air pollution (9) an increase in the
number and severity of storms and floods (10) increased use of pesticides,
chemical fertilizer, and other toxic chemicals.
- The Egyptians were subjected to one plague at a time, but the modern
plagues are threatening us simultaneously.
- The Jews in Goshen were spared the Biblical plagues, but every person on
earth is imperiled by the modern plagues.
- Instead of an ancient Pharaoh's heart being hardened, our hearts today
have been hardened by the greed, materialism, and waste that are at the root
of current environmental threats.
- God provided the Biblical plagues to free the Israelites, while today we
must apply God's teachings in order to save ourselves and our precious but
endangered planet.
(2) The Passover Seder is a time for questions, including the traditional
"four questions." Additional questions can be asked related to modern
environmental threats. For example: Why is this period different than all
other periods? (At all other periods only local regions faced environmental
threats; today, the entire world is threatened.) Why isn’t there more
activism in the Jewish community (and other communities) about current
environmental threats? Why aren't Jewish values applied toward the
alleviation of environmental problems?
(3) Rabbi Jay Marcus, rabbi emeritus of the Young Israel of Staten Island,
saw a connection between simpler diets and helping hungry people. He
commented on the fact that "karpas" (eating of greens) comes immediately
before "yahatz" (the breaking of the middle matzah for later use as the
"afikomen" (desert) in the seder service. He concluded that those who live
on simpler foods (greens, for example) will more readily divide their
possessions and share with others. The consumption of animal-centered diets
involves the feeding of 70% of the grain grown in the United States to
animals destined for slaughter and the importing of beef from other
countries, while 20 million of the world's people die of hunger and its
effects. This simpler diet would also have positive environmental effects
since modern intensive livestock agriculture uses vast amounts of water,
fuel, chemical fertilizer, pesticides, and other resources, and contributes
to the destruction of habitats and many other environmental problems.
(4) A popular song at the Seder is "dayenu" (it would have been enough). The
message of this song would be very useful today when so many people seek to
constantly increase their wealth and amass more possessions, with little
thought of the negative environmental consequences.
(5) An ancient Jewish legend indicates that Job's severe punishment occurred
because when he was an advisor to Pharaoh he refused to take a stand when
Pharaoh asked him what should be done with regard to the Israelites. This
story can be discussed as a reminder that if we remain neutral and do not
get involved in working for a better environment, severe consequences may
follow.
(6) According to Jewish tradition, Moses, Judaism's greatest leader, teacher,
and prophet, was chosen to lead the Israelites out of Egypt because as a
shepherd he showed great compassion to a lamb (Exodus Rabbah 2:2). Today,
about seven billion animals are raised annually for slaughter, mainly on
factory farms under very cruel conditions, and raising food and providing
water for these animals and getting rid of their wastes cause many
environmental problems. Animal-based agriculture contributes significantly
to climate change, deforestation, soil erosion, loss of biological
diversity, and other environmental threats. Hence a shift toward vegan diets
would help move our imperiled planet to a sustainable path.
In view of the above points, Passover would be a wonderful time to
increasingly apply Jewish values in response to the many current
environmental threats to humanity, in efforts to move our imperiled planet
onto a sustainable path.
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