By Richard H. Schwartz, Special to JTNews
This year, the fourth day of Passover and Earth Day both fall on April 22, 2008. Hence, this is a good time to consider environmental messages related to Passover and the events that led to the liberation of the Israelites from Egypt:
1. Today’s environmental threats can be compared in many ways to the Biblical Ten Plagues:
When we consider the threats to our land, water, and air, we can easily enumerate 10 modern “plagues.” For example: (1) global warming, (2) depletion of the ozone layer, (3) destruction of tropical rain forests, (4) acid rain, (5) soil erosion and depletion, (6) loss of biodiversity, (7) water pollution, (8) air pollution, (9) an increase in severity of storms and floods, and (10) increased use of pesticides, chemical fertilizer, and other toxic chemicals.
The Egyptians were subjected to one plague at a time, while the modern plagues threaten us simultaneously.
The Jews in Goshen were spared the Biblical plagues, while every person on earth is imperiled by the modern plagues.
Instead of an ancient Pharaoh’s heart being hardened, our hearts today have been hardened by the greed, materialism, and waste that are at the root of current environmental threats.
God provided the Biblical plagues to free the Israelites, while today we must apply God’s teachings in order to save ourselves and our precious, endangered planet.
Because of the above factors, there has been the beginning of a tradition to spill an additional ten drops of wine or grape juice at the seder to recognize the significance of the modern plagues.
2. The seder is a time for questions, including the traditional “Four Questions.” Additional questions can be asked related to modern environmental threats. For example: Why is this period of time different than all other periods? Why is there so much silence in the Jewish community (and other communities) about current environmental threats? And why aren’t Jewish values applied toward the alleviation of environmental problems?
3. Rabbi Jay Marcus, spiritual leader of the Young Israel of Staten Island, saw a connection between simpler diets and helping hungry people. He commented on the fact that karpas (eating of greens) comes immediately before yahatz (the breaking of the middle matzoh for later use as the afikomen (dessert) in the seder service. He concluded that those who live on simpler foods (greens, for example) will more readily divide their possessions and share with others. The consumption of animal-centered diets involves the feeding of 70 percent of the grain grown in the United States to animals destined for slaughter and the importing of beef from other countries, while 20 million of the world’s people die of hunger and its effects.
This simpler diet would also have positive environmental effects since modern intensive livestock agriculture uses vast amounts of water, fuel, chemical fertilizer, pesticides, and other resources, and contributes to the destruction of habitats and many other environmental problems.
4. A popular song at the seder is “dayenu” (“it would have been enough”). The message of this song would be very useful today when so many people seek to constantly increase their wealth and amass more possessions, with little thought given to the negative environmental consequences.
5. An ancient Jewish legend indicates that Job’s severe punishment occurred because, as an advisor to Pharoah, he refused to take a stand when Pharoah asked him what should be done with regard to the Israelites. This story can be discussed as a reminder that if we remain neutral and do not get involved in working for a better environment, severe consequences may follow.
6. The main Passover theme is freedom. While relating the story of our ancestors’ slavery in Egypt and their redemption through God’s power and beneficence, Jews might also want to consider the “slavery” of animals on modern “factory farms.” Contrary to Jewish teachings of tsa’ar ba’alei chayim (the Torah mandate not to cause unnecessary pain to a living creature), animals are raised for food today under cruel conditions in crowded confined spaces, where they are denied fresh air, sunlight, a chance to exercise, and the fulfillment of their natural instincts. In this connection, it is significant to consider that according to the Jewish tradition, Moses, Judaism’s greatest leader, teacher, and prophet, was chosen to lead the Israelites out of Egypt because as a shepherd he showed great compassion to a lamb (Exodus Rabbah 2:2).
In view of the above points, Passover would be a wonderful time to increasingly apply Jewish values in response to the many environmental threats to humanity.
Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D. is a professor emeritus at the College of Staten Island. He is also the president of Jewish Vegetarians of North America and the Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians, as well as the associate producer of the documentary A Sacred Duty.