[Avodah] The halakhos of ecology

[Zev Sero]

Micha Berger wrote:
> On Tue, Aug 12, 2008 at 12:19:17AM -0400, Zev Sero wrote:
> : >But lehalakhah, it includes wasting food rather than saving it for later
> : >or sharing with others. Your description doesn't match the din.
> 
> : Does it include that?  Makor?
> 
> See Shabbot 129a, 140b, Qiddushin 32a -- it's the pointless destruction
> of anything in general.

With the emphasis on "pointless".  Remember that your criticism of
my position was that I'm "defining bal tashchis in a way such that
by definition no one would want to do it".  Once you agree that it's
only about pointless destruction then I think you've conceded my
position.  "Pointless" is simply another way of saying "something
that by definition no one would want to do"; if one has a reason to
want to do it, then by definition it isn't pointless.

You might want to compare this to my position on Tzaar Baalei Chayim,
which is that it prohibits only those actions whose point is the
animal's suffering.  In other words, actions that would be pointless
if we rule out the illegitimate point of satisfying sadistic feelings.
TzBCh is forbidden, not because of the animal's suffering, but because
it's bad for a person to have the midah of sadism.

Perhaps the point of Bal Tashchis is captured in that "or sharing with
others" that you noted above.  If I have no use for something, but
perhaps someone else might, should I put it outside so those others
have a chance to take it, or should I destroy it?  If I have no care
for others, the two options are absolutely equal, and I'll do
whichever is the least trouble.  If I harbour a bit of hostility to
others I'll prefer destroying it.  Both of these feelings are what
Chazal called "midat Sedom".  If I can cause someone enjoyment at no
cost to myself, why would I not want to do that?  The only reason I
would destroy something rather than let someone else have it is because
I have a "midat sedom", either a severe case where I actually harbour
ill will to others, or a mild case where I just don't care at all
about others; both are bad midot that the Torah wants to discourage.

A practical example: empty drink bottles, which carry a 5 cent deposit.
It's not worth my while to take them back to the shop for a refund.
I can either throw them in the garbage, or put them out in a bag of
their own, so that those for whom it is worth while can take them.
Bal Tashchis would guide me to do the latter.



> See also Hilkhos Melakhim 6:8, Tosafos Qiddishin
> 32 "Rav Yehudah" is meiqil about breaking things for a chiunch point,
> the Chinuch (529) and Semaq (175) are machmir. The Chinukh goes so
> far as to say the mitzvah includes not even wasting one seed of mustard
> without cause.

The gemara in Shabbos says smashing something to soothe ones nerves
is "mesaken", not "mekalkel".  It follows that this is not bal tashchis,
if the benefit is greater than the cost.

Ditto for Mar bar Ravina and Rav Ashi breaking expensive objects at
their sons' weddings, and our minhag of breaking a glass under the
chupah.  Not bal tashchis, because it has a point.

-- 
Zev Sero               Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's
zev at sero.name          interpretation of the Constitution.
                       	                          - Clarence Thomas