Different shades of green: Jewish environmental ethics

The prevailing stance in Jewish orthodoxy is that environmental issues are extra-legal and not under the purview of Halakhah (Jewish law). While considered important, environmental protection falls only under midat haḥasidut (extraordinary piety). This ultimately translates into environmental protection being treated as non-obligatory and only under the purview of righteous behaviour rather than obligation. This has created a significant barrier to halakhically driven environmental decision-making. Indeed, a persistent problem can be identified within the discourse of Jewish law: namely, the paucity of scholars addressing that which is regarded by many as the most significant issue of our era, namely the environmental crisis and the suffering of our planet. The article argue that this worldview emerges from the process of conceptualizing the prohibition of bal tashḥit (waste not) the prohibition against wastefulness originating in Deuteronomy 20:19. This verse gave rise to two worldviews: the first was accorded a high level of priority, with the objective of preserving the environment being prioritised based on a sense of compassion for the non-human world. The second worldview is one which places significant emphasis on a self-concerned environmentalism, characterised by the belief that harm to the environment is equated with self-harm. Privileging this latter worldview creates a pathway to advance Jewish legal discourse and align it with mainstream environmentalism. Indeed, once environmental damage is recognised as damage to life, and thus to sustainability in all its forms, the full force of the Jewish legal system could be implemented to address these issues. The Halakhah upholds the sanctity of life. The direct harm to humans resulting from environmental damage necessitates the prioritisation of an environmentally conscious ethical framework that is more aligned with contemporary times, to inform environmental decision-making with legal force.