Thou Shalt Not Waste: Ancient Texts and their Modern Application (Copy)

There are four character types among people: One who says “My property is mine and yours is yours” is an average character type, but some say the characteristic of Sodom. One who says, “mine is yours and yours is mine” is an unlearned person. One who says, “Mine is yours and yours is yours” is pious. One who says “Yours is mine and mine is mine” is wicked.

(19) A certain man bought a field adjacent to the estate of his father­-in-­law. When they came to divide the latter's estate, he said: Give me my share next to my own field. Rabbah said: This is a case where a man can be forced not to act after the manner of Sodom.

When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees people, that you should besiege them? However, you may cut down trees that you know are not fruit trees and use them to build siege works until the city at war with you falls.

One who covers an oil lamp [causing the flame to burn inefficiently] or uncovers a kerosene lamp [allowing the fuel to evaporate faster] violates the prohibition of bal tashchit.

Rav Chisda said, if one eats barley but is able to eat wheat, he has broken the rule of bal tashchit. Rav Papa, said If one is able to drink beer but drinks wine, he has broken the rule of bal taschit.

Rav Hiyya bar Avin said in the name of Shmuel, “When someone gets chills [on Shabbat] after bloodletting, we may make a fire [for warmth or cooking]...” For Samuel himself, they chopped up an expensive, drum­shaped stool made of shaga­wood. For Rav Judah, they chopped up a table made of yavnah­wood. For Rabbah they chopped up a [wooden] chair. At which point Abbaye said to Rabbah, "Aren’t you breaking the rule against bal tashchit?” He

replied, “Avoiding the ‘bal tashchit’ of my body takes priority for me.”