Eco-Judaism: Does It Exist? 13
that a woman could protest her husband’s undertaking such a venture; it was grounds for divorce."
This literature also expanded the protection of land under tillage from degradation and careless farming practices. The water sources also had to be protected(B.K. 4a; B.M. 77a). Fields were to be fertilized(Meila 3.6; B.B. 5.3; B.M. 72b). Forests were seen as a source of wood for fencing, carpentry, and firewood; certain times of the year were designated for woodcutting(Gen. Rabbah 6.:7; Ex. Rabbah 7:4; Lev. Rabbah 23:3; Tanhuma to Deut. 1:9), yet this was not protective legislation.
The regulations for the care of domestic animals as well as their slaughter for food were provided in detail by the Talmud (Hul.) and vastly expanded in the later rabbinic literature and responsa.
Interestingly enough, sections of this literature dealt with the responsibility of animals and assumed that they had some free will(Gen. Rabbah 48.3; B.K. 35a); the animal was therefore subject to law and punishment(San 1:4; B.K. 4:6; San. 54a). Some apocryphal books as well as the later mystical literature dealt with the soul of animals, but this concept was not further developed in the halakhic literature.'? In addition, we have the numerous midrashim that use the care of animals as a test for leadership; this was done with Moses, David, and others. Clearly, caring for animals was seen as akin to doing the same for human beings. Animal fables were frequently adapted from the surrounding cultures and used to teach human lessons."
If we summarize the mishnaic and talmudic periods, we can say that there was much discussion of the practical impact that nature had on daily life. This was mixed with an appreciation of the beauty and grandeur of the natural world expressed through the liturgy. The discussionwas not turned in the direction of concern for the natural world, which was seen as mighty and with few boundaries.
Codes and Responsa
This vast literature further expanded the directions already taken by the earlier traditions. In the codes and responsa we find much detail on agricultural issues old and new. The concerns differed according to the land in which the respondist lived.