Hello,
The truth is that we are not dealing with a disagreement, but two methods of conversation around the topic: there is no doubt that you are right that the greatest pollution is not done by individuals but by governmental decisions, enormous pollution from energy policy, chemicals, etc. Truth is, the individual has a very small impact on these issues. At times even collectively.
However, “the state” is not an abstract body. It is comprised of people. The decision makers are people too. The more that the public conversation, comprised of individual people, seriously considers environmental sustainability – it will impact the decision-makers, factory heads, etc. Therefore there is great importance for more and more people to join the process. The central source teaching about this change is the words of the Sages regarding Elkanah and the way he caused a change in the approach to Shilo
Tana DeBei Eliyahu, Chapter 8:
“Elkanah would go up to Shilo four times a year, three biblical and one that he accepted upon himself as an oath, as it is stated ‘and that man went up from his city every year to worship and offer sacrifices to the Lord of Hosts in Shilo’. Elkanah and his wife, sons, his household, brothers, sisters and all of his relatives would go up with him, and he said to them learn from the service of the Canaanites and idol worshippers trekking to their idols despite the fact that they are vapor and nothingness, all the more so you must make a pilgrimage and go up before the Ark of God’s covenant, who is a living and eternal God, blessed is His name forever and ever. He said to them that all of them should go up with him, and when they would go with him on the road, they would sleep in the city streets and the men and women would camp separately, so that man would talk to man and woman to woman and adult with children. And the citizens would be emphatic, asking them ‘where are you going?’ and they would say to them ‘we are going to the House of God in Shilo, for from there comes Torah and proper deeds, and why don’t you come with us, and we will walk together?’ At that moment tears would rain from their eyes, and they would say to them ‘we will go up with you’. And he would say this to them again, until five households went with him the next year, and ten households came the following year, and the following year everyone felt emphatically that they should go, and around sixty households went up with him. And the path that he would take to arrive would be different than any other year, until the entire Israel would go up, and Elkanah would judge all of Israel favorably and taught them mitzvot and gave merit to many people through his hands. God, who reads the hearts and minds of man, said to Elkanah, ‘you judged Israel favorably and educated them in mitzvot, and many merited from your work, I will grant you a son that will judge everyone favorably and educate them in mitzvot, and many will merit from his work’. Thus we have learned, as a reward for the act of Elkanah – Shmuel”.
And anyways, it is best if we all become active in this issue. In a manner that allows us to live and prosper. In this manner.
All the best and Yashar koach for bringing the issue up,
Rabbi Yuval Cherlow
Head of the Tzohar Ethics Center
For additional reading:
- There is no Lag B’Omer without Bonfires, but We Must Limit Them
- The Image of God and the Ecological Challenge
- Air Pollution, Halacha, and Community Activism
