Teaching #4: Sustainability in Settling the Land of Israel
At different times in history, Jews have engaged in growing crops, tending fruit trees, and shepherding animals in the Land of Israel. These activities were critical to provide food to sustain Jews living in the Land. Yet they also may have presented challenges to environmental sustainability in the Land of Israel. Jewish tradition can teach us about sustaining the Land over time, both in pre-modern times and today.
Before the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E., the Jewish and gentile population expanded to about 2.1 million inhabitants. During the period before and after the destruction of the Second Temple (20 C.E. to 200 C.E., also known as the Mishnaic period), the people living in the Land of Isarel were fed in good part from grain, wine, and oil produced in Israel. At this time and for centuries afterward, most Jews still farmed the Land.
Jewish history records 3747 years since Abram and Sarai came to Israel, of which over 1500 years involved significant settlement in the Land of Israel. How did they manage to live in the Land of Israel for so long? While the Torah teaches us that Divine Providence (in response to the people following the commandments) played the fundamental role, the Oral Tradition as redacted in the Mishna also provides instructive guidelines for living in the Land of Israel. These teachings can inform us about living sustainably on the Land over a long period of time.
Learning Resources
- Short Summary Article by Rabbi Yonatan Neril
- Longer Article for Deeper Study by Rabbi Yonatan Neril
- Study Guide with Hebrew-English Sources and Discussion Questions (PDF)
Additional Resources Available for Download
- Listen! Audio Podcast on Sustainability in Settling the Land
- Curriculum Guide for Teaching Sustainability During the Omer
This resource is part of Canfei Nesharim’s Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment, in partnership with Jewcology.com, with support from the ROI Community, a community of young Jewish innovators founded by Lynn Schusterman, and the Shedlin Outreach Foundation.
Teaching #5: Slowing Down: Shabbat and Environmental Awareness