The Jewish EPA , 3000 Years Old

This month was the month of the Jewish high holy days, including the new years, yom kippur (day of repentance) and sukkot (huts).

This also the last in a seven-year cycle , called Shmita (to drop).

I am not a religious person, and so, I will not discuss the religious meanings of these holidays.

These holy days do have an environmental effect, and I find two, Yom Kippur and the Shmita particularly interesting.

In Yom Kippur, observant Jews will go to synagogue and fast for the day. One of the traditions developed in Israel is refraining from driving on that day. This has a vast impact on the whole country, as all the roads are totally clear of vehicles (but EMS), all the places of business are closed and the television stops broadcasting.

Its a day on which all the machines are turned off, it is quiet and the air is cleared. All the kids go out to the streets, and amongst the secular Jews, this is known as “the Bicycle holiday”, and people, young and old go out and reclaim the streets!

Shmita on the other hand, is a very strange and theoretic practice. Basically, this means that every seventh year, and land owned by Jews, must not be cultivated in any way. All the produce that grows naturally is abandoned and left for the poor, and what the poor would not pick, is left for “the beasts of the land”. Another aspect is debts; those are to be relinquished and forgiven.

At face value, Grate idea, don’t you think? After six years of growth and personal gain, on the seventh you start shrinking (eco-footprint, that is), not taking for yourself and giving back.

However (read as CAPS), the Jewish Rabbis worked hard on fitting these age-old rules to our modern times. The outcome? Debts are not relinquished, but are free from interest for the year, and only between Jewish landers and borrowers. The land is sold (yes, all Jewish-owned land is sold) to a Goy (non-Jew) for a very large sum of money, payed with a post dated check (dated the eighth year), when the year is over the check is bounced by the bank and the sale is canceled. Waste of time? no, because the land can be farmed (not owned by Jews…).

And so, instead of having a beautiful tradition of humility and self-control, there is this ugly self-deception and pretension of care.

My point is, rules to protect the environment have been with us for thousands of years, and so does self-deception and the rational trickery. Those who made the rules up, also make the walk-around as they empty the rule from any meaning.

Still, could be a good idea if thoroughly thought of and adapted to the 21st century.

see you later

Lord Mangotree