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VOLUME 2 , ISSUE 3--4 ( July-December, 2023 ) > List of Articles

ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Ecology in Judaism

Kotel Dadon

Keywords : Ecology, Environment, Judaism, Rabbi, Torah

Citation Information : Dadon K. Ecology in Judaism. 2023; 2 (3--4):131-138.

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-11005-0056

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Published Online: 28-12-2023

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2023; The Author(s).


Abstract

Ecology has become one of the greatest moral and existential crises of our time because of the environmental disasters we have experienced in recent years. Scientists predict that these disasters will become more frequent and even worse. The world is changing, and therefore, it is our duty to get involved and contribute to the global effort for a better environment. This article is a modest contribution to these efforts by examining Judaism's religious, legal, and moral standpoint on the ecological crisis for a better future. The first part of the article discusses the various ideological approaches to ecology, the anthropocentric and the biocentric, and then defines the place of the Jewish theocentric approach in the ecological discourse. The next part deals with ecology in the Bible by analyzing some commandments from the Torah that contain an ecological argument and support the moral idea of preserving the environment. These include the Sabbath commandment, the Sabbath year, and the prohibition against wasteful destruction. The final part of the article analyzes ecology in rabbinic literature, focusing on various precepts and commandments in Jewish law in the area of tort law and neighbor relations that were enacted to prevent various types of damage and pollution (noise, air, or water) that can be caused by industrial production. Commandments that maintain the balance between the need for industrial and economic production and optimal living conditions for residents. In this treatise, the author uses many sources from rabbinic literature from the Talmudic period through the Middle Ages to modern times.


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