Parashat Shoftim

On Wasteful Living

by: Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon

Founder and Board Chairman, JobKatif

This week’s parasha poses an interesting predicament when it says, “When you place a siege on a city…do not destroy the trees…you may eat from them, but don’t cut them down.” (Devarim 20:19) Why is there a prohibition of slaughtering when it comes to inanimate objects?

Honestly, this question is like asking why a person should be moral. There are two negative effects on a person who makes a habit of damaging objects. The first is that the soul of an individual actually changes. Man was created to build and enhance this world so when he destroys something, he goes against his very nature as a human.

The Sefer HaChinuch explains the second aspect. He says that when as a person becomes destructive, he no longer appreciates what is given to him. Instead of feeling privileged for everything he receives or has in his possession, he belittles it all, taking it all for granted, and therefore doesn’t care for his possessions.

To understand this prohibition, let’s look at the concept a bit differently. A homeowner is the only individual who has the authority to do any construction, renovations or even destroy the house if so chooses. Conversely, a tenant only has permission to use the house, and therefore cannot make changes or cause any damages. The concept of this week’s parsha is that we are not allowed to destroy what really belongs to G-d.

There is a Midrash that highlights this idea. When G-d first brought Adam to see all of creation, G-d said to him, “Understand that you are to destroy none of it.” In other words man is a renter, for 50, 90 or 120 years, but he is merely “renting” his place on earth.

The sages teach us that you have to start with the little things in order to avoid the prohibition of destroying. Therefore, they instituted the prohibition of Baal-Tash’chit– not wasting– a warning to us against wasting mundane things in our lives.  For example, the gemara in Brachot 4b, we are told that a person should not pass a full cup of water over a loaf of bread so as to avoid spilling it on the bread, and ruining it. 

A gemara in Pesachim tells a story of the angel who is in charge of making people poor. The angel was after a certain person, but couldn’t find any faults with which to condemn him. Ultimately, the angel gave up and said relentlessly, “I came here for nothing, since this man doesn’t even throw out the crumbs of his bread. I really have no reason to make him poor.”

Now we can understand why the Shulchan Aruch says that one who wastes bread will become poor. By simply wasting something usable, we display a lack of understanding regarding what G-d gave us.

As far as practical Halacha is concerned, if a person must throw out bread, he should put the pieces left over into a plastic bag and then throw the bag out once a week.

May we all make an attempt to avoid taking for granted what G-d gives to us, and to value everything we have– big and small. And may we be successful in teaching our children this lesson, to care about and not destroy this world. With this appreciation, may G-d add to what we already have.

Shabbat Shalom!