From the Rabbi:
In Parashat Shoftim we learn about the prohibition of “Ba'al Tashchit,” not to destroy things for no reason:
"If you besiege a city many days to wage war against it to capture it, do not harm any of its trees by chopping it with an ax, because you eat from it you are not to cut it down; For, is the tree of the field a person to join the besieged to escape you? Only a tree that you know that it is not a fruit tree may you harm or cut down; and you will build battlements against the city that is waging war against you until it is conquered. (Dvarim 20:19-20).
The Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Melachim (6:10) states: This prohibition does not apply only to trees. Whoever breaks utensils, tears garments, demolishes a building, stops up a well and willfully destroys food violates the prohibition of “you shall not destroy…”
In a fascinating and related teaching, in the Talmud, Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said in the name of Chilfa Bar Agra who in turn said in the name of Yochanan ben Nuri: If one tears his garments in his anger, breaks his utensils in his anger, or scatters his money in his anger, he should be in your eyes as one who is performing idolatry. For this is the craft of the evil inclination: Today it tells him, “do this” until it tells him “perform idolatry” and he goes and performs it (Shabbat 105b).
The basis of this mitzvah is what King David teaches in Tehillim: "The Lord owns the earth and all it contains, the world and all who live in it." Even the property we own ultimately belongs to God and thus we don't have an absolute right to do with it as we see fit.
One way to fulfill this mitzvah is to donate our old cloths rather than throw them out. Clothing is so abundant today that we might tend to devalue them. A major brand name made the news a number of years ago for disposing of clothing at the end of the season rather than donating them. Our shul regularly takes part in this mitzvah through collections for the needy where we have an opportunity to donate quality items. Next time you pass a collection box for clothes, consider our parsha and gather a few items you haven't worn in years and give them to those in need.
Shabbat Shalom!
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NOTE: Wednesday's class is being paused until further notice.
Saturday at 7:10 pm - Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers)
Sunday at 7:00 pm - KOT Beit Midrash
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