RECORDING of "Food Waste, Fruit Trees, and Nature Spirits" with Dr Harris Bor
RECORDING of "Food Waste, Fruit Trees, and Nature Spirits" with Dr Harris Bor
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In the spirit of Tu Bishvat (the new year for trees), this shiur will consider Bal Tashchit (the law against wanton destruction) and ask whether Judaism has an environmental ethic.
Today, an estimated one-third of all food produced goes to waste. According to the UN Food Index 2021, about 61% of this waste comes from households. This puts a huge onus on all of us to do our bit, but is this just a matter of responsible citizenship or a religious imperative? Care for the environment certainly demonstrates our concern for all, but Judaism makes its own specific demands which seek to balance the idea that the world was created for humanity’s benefit with the notion that we are nature’s custodians.
Together, we will trace the development of the halachah of Bal Tashchit, through the Bible, Talmud, and medieval codes, paying close attention to the ideas and tensions which underlie it, and make some practical suggestions on what we can do to use food more wisely.
This shiur is part of a weekly series in memory of Dalia Hillman z'l, and is presented in partnership with Leket Israel, an Israeli charity that rescues surplus food for those in need.
About the speaker: Harris is an international lawyer (barrister), Research Fellow at the London School of Jewish Studies, trainee Rabbi, and author of the recently published “Staying Human: A Jewish Theology for the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”
About 2020 Torah: 2020 Torah is an online Jewish learning community, founded by Dr Tamra Wright. It enables adults of all ages to engage more deeply with Jewish texts and values, and apply them to 21st-century questions and challenges.