{"id":12285,"date":"2026-07-13T00:07:51","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T21:07:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=12285"},"modified":"2026-08-05T16:07:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T13:07:36","slug":"17-13-07","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/17-13-07\/","title":{"rendered":"07. Bal Tash\u1e25it: The General Prohibition"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is a Torah mitzva not to destroy things that are useful, whether food, utensils, or raw materials. The basis of the mitzva is the Torah\u2019s warning to soldiers not to destroy fruit trees in wartime. If even during war one must be careful not to destroy, then all the more so in ordinary times. From here we learn that one who breaks utensils, tears clothing, demolishes a building, or blocks a spring without need violates the prohibition of bal tash\u1e25it<\/em>. [8]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

The prohibition reflects a clear moral principle. A person should treat useful things with respect and care for their preservation. Even if a certain food is of no use to him because it is not to his taste, he is not alone in the world. There are other creatures, human beings and animals alike, that can benefit from it. One must therefore be careful not to destroy it for no reason.<\/p>\n

The prohibition of bal tash\u1e25it<\/em> also includes destroying natural resources. If even in wartime the Torah forbids soldiers to destroy fruit trees unnecessarily, and even by Torah law forbids destroying the irrigation channel that brings water to a fruit tree (see above, section 2), then certainly in ordinary times one may not destroy or pollute natural resources. In the past, human beings had only a limited ability to harm the environment, so the prohibition focused mainly on damaging fruit trees or the channels that watered them. In recent generations, however, technology and population growth have greatly increased humanity\u2019s ability to pollute the air, soil, and water, and to cause destruction. A great responsibility therefore rests on the leaders of every country and community to establish laws and regulations protecting the environment, and there is a Torah mitzva for every person to observe these laws in order to prevent the destruction of natural resources. Similarly, the Sages said (Kohelet Rabba<\/em> 7:13): \u201cWhen God created Adam, He took him around to all the trees of the Garden of Eden and said to him: \u2018Look at My works, how beautiful and excellent they are. Everything I created, I created for you. Take care not to ruin and destroy My world, for if you ruin it, there will be no one to repair it after you.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

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[8]<\/a>. One who destroys fruit violates bal tash\u1e25it<\/em> by a kal va-\u1e25omer<\/em>: if the Torah warned against destroying a tree that produces fruit, then certainly one may not destroy the fruit itself (Sifrei<\/em> to Devarim 20:19). We find in the Talmud that the prohibition of bal tash\u1e25it<\/em> applies to all useful things, including killing animals (\u1e24ullin<\/em> 7b), destroying utensils (Shabbat<\/em> 129a), wasting food (Shabbat<\/em> 140b), and ruining clothing (Kiddushin<\/em> 32a). Most Rishonim therefore maintain that the prohibition of bal tash\u1e25it<\/em> applies by Torah law (Tosafot, Bava Metzi\u2019a<\/em> 32b; Rabbenu Yona; Rabbenu Peretz; Rabbenu Yero\u1e25am; and Smag). Rambam writes (MT, Laws of Kings and Wars 6:10; Sefer ha-Mitzvot<\/em>, negative commandment 57) that since the prohibition is stated explicitly regarding a fruit tree, the punishment of lashes applies only to one who destroys a fruit tree. One who destroys other things is subject only to rabbinic lashes. (Some maintain that, according to Rambam, even the prohibition against destroying other things is rabbinic. Others maintain that he too agrees with the other Rishonim that the prohibition applies by Torah law.)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There is a Torah mitzva not to destroy things that are useful, whether food, utensils, or raw materials. The basis of the mitzva is the Torah\u2019s warning to soldiers not to destroy fruit trees in wartime. If even during war one must be careful not to destroy, then all the more so in ordinary times. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[234],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-17-13"],"yoast_head":"\n07. 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