1. Applying Passover Messages Can Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet

2. Passover and Vegetarianism and Veganism

3. Inconsistencies in Passover Eating

4. Freeing Ourselves at Passover From Diets That Harm Us and the Planet

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1. Applying Passover Messages Can Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet

There are many Passover-related messages that can be applied to help shift our imperiled planet onto a sustainable path:

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 ten modern “plagues.” For example, (1) climate change; (2) melting of glaciers and Arctic ice caps; (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 of severity of storms and floods; (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 are occurring simultaneously.

• The Jews in Goshen were spared the Biblical plagues, while today, 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 HEAL our precious but endangered planet.

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 different than all other periods? (At all other periods, only local regions faced environmental threats; today, the entire world is threatened.) Why is there insufficient attention in the Jewish community (and other communities) about current environmental threats? Why aren’t Jewish values sufficiently applied toward the alleviation of environmental problems?

3. Rabbi Jay Marcus, former 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 matzah for later use as the “afikomen” (dessert) in the seder service. He concluded that people 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 about 70% of the grain grown in the United States to animals destined for slaughter and the importing of beef from other countries, while an estimated nine million of the world’s people die annually of hunger and its effects. Simpler diets 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. It is the leading cause of climate change because cows emit methane, a very potent greenhouse gas, and over 40% of the world’s ice-free land is used for grazing snd growing feed crops for animals, significantly reducing the number of carbon-sequencing trees.

4. A popular song at the seder is “dayenu” (it would have been enough). The message of this song isvery useful today when so many people eat large amounts of meat and seek to constantly increase their wealth and amass more possessions, with little thought of the negative environmental consequences.

5. An ancient Jewish legend indicates that Job’s severe punishment occurred because, as an advisor to Pharaoh, he refused to take a stand when Pharaoh asked him what should be done regarding 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,” and the resultant very negative environmental effects. Contrary to Jewish teachings of tsa’ar ba’alei chayim (the Torah mandate not to cause unnecessary “sorrow 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 most excellent 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 apply Jewish values more widely in response to humanity’s many current environmental threats.

2. Passover and Vegetarianism and Veganism

Can Passover be related to  vegetarianism and veganism (veg*ism henceforth)? After all, what is a seder without gefilte fish, chicken soup, chopped liver, chicken, and other meats? And what about the shank bone to commemorate the paschal sacrifice? And doesn’t Jewish law mandate that Jews eat meat to rejoice on Passover and other Jewish festivals? 

Yet, an increasing number of Jews are turning to veg*ism, and they are finding ways to celebrate veg*an Passovers while being consistent with Jewish teachings.

Contrary to a common perception, Jews are not required to eat meat at the Passover seder or any other time. According to the Talmud (Pesachim 109a), since the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, Jews need not eat meat to celebrate Jewish festivals. In scholarly articles by Rabbi Albert Cohen in the Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society and Rabbi J. David Bleich in Tradition magazine, this concept is reinforced. Also, some Israeli chief rabbis, including Rabbi Shlomo Goren, former Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Israel and Rabbi Sha’ar Yashuv Cohen, former Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Haifa, were or are strict vegetarians.

The use of the shank bone originated in the time of the Talmud to commemorate the paschal lamb. However, since the talmudic scholar, Rabbi Huna, stated that a beet can be used for this purpose, many Jewish veg*ans substitute a beet for the shank bone. The important point is that the shank bone is a symbol and no meat need be eaten at the seder.

Jewish veg*ans see veg*an values reinforced by several Passover themes:

1. At the seder, Jews say, “Let all who are hungry come and eat.” As at the conclusion of other meals., the bircat hamazon is recited at the seder to thank God for providing food for us. This seems inconsistent with the spirit of animal-centered diets, which involves feeding about 70% of the grain grown in the United States while an estimated nine million of the world’s people die of hunger and its effects annually.

Although he is not a vegetarian, Rabbi Jay Marcus, former 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 matzah 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.

Many Jewish veg*ans see connections between the oppression that their ancestors suffered and the current plight of the billions of people who presently lack sufficient food and other essential resources.  Veg*an diets require far less land, water, fuel, pesticides, fertilizer, and other resources, and thus enable the better sharing of God’s abundant resources, which can help reduce global hunger and poverty.

2. 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, many Jewish veg*ans also 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, 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 most outstanding 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).

3. Many Jewish veg*ans advocate that we commemorate the redemption of our ancestors from slavery by ending the current slavery to harmful eating habits through the adoption of veg*an diets.

4. Passover is the holiday of springtime, a time 33of nature’s renewal. It also commemorates God’s supremacy over the forces of nature. In contrast, modern intensive livestock agriculture an333d animal-centered diets have many negative effects on the environment, including climate change, air and water pollution, soil erosion and depletion, and the destruction of tropical rain forests and other habitats.   

5. Jewish vegetarians view their diet as a practical way to practice Jewish values. They believe that Jewish mandates to show compassion to animals, take care of our health, protect the environment, conserve resources, and share with hungry people, and the negative effects that animal-centered diets have in each of these areas, point to veg*ism as the ideal diet for Jews (and others) today.

3. Inconsistencies in Passover Eating

While many Jews commendably go to great lengths on the festival of Passover to observe Torah verses commanding us to avoid some foods, they ignore other scriptural verses relevant to the consumption of other foods.

Among the features of Passover are the prohibitions of eating, owning or benefiting from chometz, foods such as breads, cakes and cereals that are made from one of the five grains (wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and oats) that have undergone fermentation as the result of contact with liquid. These prohibitions are based on several Torah verses and are treated with great seriousness by religious Jews.

Many Jews spend weeks before Passover cleaning their houses, cars, and other possessions in efforts to eliminate all chometz during the holiday. Because the Torah indicates a severe punishment (koret, meaning that one’s life is cut short, or that one is spiritually severed from the root of one’s soul) for violating the chometz prohibitions, many Jewish communities have adopted additional stringencies to avoid inadvertent transgressions. 

For example, the practice among many Ashkenazi Jews is to not only refrain from products of the five grains, but also from kitniyot, other grains and legumes, including rice, corn, lentils and beans. While the origins of this practice are not clear, two common .theories are that such items are sometimes made into products that resemble chometz, such as cornbread, or that these items were generally stored in sacks similar to these for the five prohibited grains and people were concerned that the sacks might become contaminated with chometz.

So important are the chometz prohibitions that, while a common greeting on other Jewish festivals is chag samayach (may you have a joyous holiday), on Passover it is often chag kasher v’samayach (may you have a kosher and joyous holiday).

This article is not to argue against these prohibitions and additional stringencies, but to suggest that many foods that Jews eat on Passover, including meat, fish, dairy products and eggs, violate Torah mandates that are also critically important, especially today.

Among these Torah mandates are:

1. We are to diligently guard our health. Judaism teaches that we should be more careful about mitzvot (commandments) concerning health than about ritual mitzvot. For example, if it might help save a life, a Jew may violate the Sabbath, eat non-kosher foods, and avoid fasting on Yom Kippur. Yet, the consumption of meat and other animal products has been linked in peer-reviewed articles in respected medical journals to heart disease, various types of cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

2. Judaism forbids tsa’ar ba’alei chayim, inflicting unnecessary pain on animals. The psalmist indicated that “God’s mercies are over all of His creatures (Psalms 145:9) and the Book of Proverbs indicates that “the righteous individual considers the life of his or her animals.” (12:10) Compassion to animals is even part of the Ten Commandments, which indicates that animals, as well as people, are to rest on the Sabbath day. Many other Torah laws involve treating animals with respect and compassion. Moses and King David were deemed suitable to be Israelite leaders because of their compassionate treatment of sheep in their youth. 

However, generally farm animals — including most raised for kosher consumers — are raised on “factory farms” where they live in cramped, confined spaces and are often drugged, mutilated, and denied fresh air, sunlight, exercise, and any enjoyment of life, before they are slaughtered and eaten.

3. Judaism teaches that “the earth is the Lord’s” (Psalm 24:1) and that we are to be God’s partners and co-workers in preserving the world. Yet,  modern intensive livestock agriculture contributes substantially to climate change, soil erosion and depletion, air and water pollution, overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the destruction of tropical rain forests and other habitats and other environmental damage. Animal-based agriculture is the leading cause of climate change because cows emit methane, a very potent greenhouse gas, and over 40% of the world’s ice-free land is used for grazing and growing feed crops for animals, greatly reducing the number of carbon-sequestering trees.

4 Judaism mandates bal tashchit, that we are not to waste or unnecessarily destroy anything of value, and that we are not to use more than is needed to accomplish a purpose. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, an Orthodox rabbi and thinker of towering stature in nineteenth-century Germany, viewed bal tashchit as the most basic Jewish principle of all — acknowledging the sovereignty of God and the limitation of our own will and ego. However, animal-based agriculture requires the wasteful use of food, land, water, energy, and other resources. The average animal-based  diet requires up to ten times the energy, 14 times the water, and 20 times the land required for a vegan diet.

5. Judaism stresses that we are to assist the poor and share our bread with hungry people. The Torah indicates that farmers must leave the corners of their fields and the gleanings of their harvests for the needy, Yet, about  70% of the grain grown in the United States is fed to animals destined for slaughter (it takes about 9 pounds of grain to produce one pound of edible beef), while an estimated nine million people, mostly children, worldwide die because of hunger and its effects annually

6. Judaism stresses that we must seek and pursue peace and that violence results from unjust conditions. While most mitzvot require a definite time or place, peace is so important that, like justice, we are to seek it nearby and pursue it in other places. However, animal-centered diets, by wasting valuable resources, help to perpetuate the widespread hunger and poverty that often lead to instability and war.

In view of these important Jewish mandates to preserve human health, attend to the welfare of animals, protect the environment, conserve resources, help feed hungry people, and pursue peace, contrasted with the harm that animal-centered diets do in each of these areas, dietary choices should be on the Jewish agenda.

One could say “dayenu” (it would be enough) after any of the contrasts between Jewish teachings and dietary realities above, because each one constitutes by itself a serious conflict between Jewish values and current practices that should impel Jews to seriously consider a plant-based diet. Combined, they make an urgently compelling case for the Jewish community to address these issues.

It is time to apply these important teachings to our diets, thereby helping shift our precious, but imperiled, planet to a sustainable path. Since Passover is the holiday of freedom, the seder would be a great time to free ourselves from eating habits that are so harmful to people, animals and the planet.

4. Freeing Ourselves at Passover From Diets That Harm Us and the Planet

Many Jews commendably go to extraordinary lengths before and during Passover to avoid certain foods, in keeping with Torah mitzvot. But at the same time, many continue eating other foods that, by Torah standards, are hardly ideal.

 On Passover, Jews are prohibited from eating, owning, or otherwise benefiting from chometz, foods such as breads, cakes, and cereals, that are made from one of the five grains (wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and oats) that ferment from contact with liquid. These prohibitions are based on several Torah verses and are observed with great care by religious Jews.

 Many Jews spend weeks before Passover cleaning their houses, cars, and other possessions to ensure that not even a crumb of chometz remains during the holiday. Moreover, many Ashkenazi Jews accept the additional stringency of abstaining from eating kitniyot, a category of grains and legumes, including rice, corn, lentils, and beans.

So important are the chometz prohibitions that, while a common greeting on other Jewish festivals is chag sameach  (may you have a joyous holiday), on Passover it is often chag kasher v’sameach (may you have a kosher and joyous holiday).

Jews should be highly commended for their great dedication to Jewish commandments and traditions, as shown by their adherence to chometz prohibitions. But I suggest that they could be even more consistent with Jewish values and teachings by giving up foods that Jews eat on Passover (and at other times), including meat, fish, dairy products, and eggs.

 Please consider:

1. Judaism mandates that people should be very careful about preserving their health and their lives. But numerous scientific studies in peer-reviewed medical journals have linked animal-based diets directly to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, many forms of cancer, and other life-threatening  diseases.

2. Judaism forbids tsa’ar ba’alei chayim, the inflicting of unnecessary pain on animals. Yet most farm animals — including those raised for kosher consumers — are raised on factory farms where they live in cramped, confined spaces, and are often drugged, mutilated, and denied fresh air, sunlight, exercise, and any enjoyment of life. That’s all before they are transported, often under abominable conditions, to slaughterhouses and violently killed.

3. Judaism teaches that “the earth is the Lord’s” (Psalm 24:1) and that we are to be God’s partners and co-workers in preserving the world. In contrast, modern intensive livestock agriculture contributes substantially to climate change, soil erosion and depletion, air and water pollution, overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the destruction of tropical rain forests and other habitats, species extinction, and other environmental damage.

4. Judaism mandates bal tashchit, that we are not to waste or unnecessarily destroy anything of value and that we are not to use more than is needed to accomplish a purpose. But animal-based agriculture requires the wasteful use of grain, land, water, energy, and other resources. For example, it takes up to 20 times as much land, 13 times as much water, and 10 times as much energy to feed a person on an animal-based diet than to feed a person on a plant-based diet.

5. Judaism stresses that we are to assist the poor and share our bread with hungry people. Yet about 70% of the grain grown in the United States is fed to farmed animals, while an estimated nine million people worldwide die due to hunger and its effects each year.

One could say “dayenu” (it would be enough) after any of the points above, because each one constitutes by itself a serious conflict between Jewish values and current practice. Thankfully, more and more Jews are shifting to a plant-based diet, recognizing that the Jewish case for vegetarianism and veganism is quite compelling.

     After all, if God is concerned about us getting rid of every speck of Chometz that we can, God surely must want our diets to avoid harming our health, inflicting suffering on animals, damaging the environment, and depleting our natural resources. It is time to apply Judaism’s important teachings to our diets, demonstrating the relevance of Judaism’s eternal teachings to current issues, and helping move our precious, but imperiled, planet onto a sustainable path.

Since Passover is the holiday of freedom, it presents a wonderful opportunity to free ourselves from harmful eating habits and to shift to ones that are beneficial for our health, for our souls, for animals, and for our imperiled planet.