Shmirat ha-Teva

Shmirat ha-Teva means “guarding the environment.” Even though you won’t find the words Shmirat ha-Teva in the Bible or in the Talmud, you will find these ideas. Shmitah (the Sabbatical year) is a biblical rule that the land must be allowed to rest every seven years. Nothing can be planted or harvested. Tu b’Shevat (the fifteenth of the month of Shevat) is the New Year for trees. It is a day that celebrates all things that grow in the ground. Ba’al Tash’hit (Do not waste or destroy) is a biblical mitzvah that begins by teaching that when you are fighting a war you cannot cut down fruit trees to try to starve your enemy. It turns into a law that says “It is wrong to waste or destroy anything that is useful.” The words Shmirat ha-Teva come from an Israeli organization. In 1953 a group of Israelis started The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, one of the world’s oldest ecological organizations. It is dedicated to guarding Israel’s open spaces, protecting its coasts and beaches and promoting sustainable development in order to protect the country’s natural resources for future generations. Shmirat ha-Teva means that it is our responsibility to protect the environment not only in Israel but all over the world.

1. 2. 3. A man was journeying in the desert. He was hungry, tired and thirsty. He found a tree with sweet fruits, good shade and a stream of water running under it. He ate its fruits, drank the water and rested in its shade. When he was ready to continue his journey, he said, “Tree, with what shall I bless you? What shall I say to you? ‘May your fruits be sweet’? They are already sweet! ‘May you provide good shade’? You already provide good shade! ‘May a stream of water flow under you’? A stream of water already flows under you! Therefore I will say, ‘May it be God’s will that all the seedlings taken from you be like you.’”

Ta’anit 5b-6a

What lesson can you draw from this story? What does it teach us about Shmirat ha-Teva? In the story the man asks God to bless the tree. How can we help God with this blessing?