Adopted at the 61st General Assembly November, 1991 Baltimore,
MD The Jewish community's mandate to cultivate, protect, and
nurture the environment is deeply rooted in our tradition. The
commandment "Bal Taschit" enjoins "Do not destroy things from
which humanity may benefit" (Deuteronomy, 20). The warning
against idolatry founded in Deuteronomy reminds us that if we
abuse the environment, displaying contempt for the integrity of
God's creation, purse rain will cease to fall and the ground
will cease to yield its produce. Indeed the Jewish obligation to
preserve the environment goes back to creation itself. For in
the hour when the Holy One created the first human being, God
took the person before all the trees of the Garden of Eden, and
said to the person: "See my works, how fine and excellent they
are! Now all that I created, for you I created. Think upon this,
and do not corrupt and desolate my world; for if you corrupt it,
there is no one to set it right after you." (Ecclesiastes Rabbah
7:28) We share thi