Q&A: Two Questions Regarding Wasteful Destruction
Two Questions Regarding Wasteful Destruction
Question
Hello Rabbi,
- After a large meal (for example, an Independence Day party for about 30 participants), a lot of meat sometimes remains. After I offer the guests to take some home and they are not interested, I leave a reasonable amount for my family and throw out the rest. I have heard that some people make a point of putting leftover food in a separate bag and only then throwing it in the trash. Is that the strict letter of Jewish law, or can one be lenient and throw it in the trash without a separate bag?
- Regarding the children's toys: thank God, they receive many gifts, and sometimes we downsize and get rid of items that are not needed. For important and noticeable items I try to find them a new home, but with smaller items that involves a lot of effort. Is it permitted to throw them in the garbage?
I would appreciate the Rabbi's guidance.
Answer
There are no sharp and clear halakhic guidelines on these topics. I would only note that people's effort is also a cost, and there is room to permit destroying things in order to save effort. It is, of course, a question of degree.
Discussion on Answer
It's "bal tashchit" and not "ba'al."
What difference does it make if you put it in a special bag? Bottom line, you've destroyed that food. I don't see any difference.
As for the desserts, yes.
Sorry about the mistake.
And one last question on the same topic, at least for tonight: I assume it's the same thing with half an onion that I cut. My wife says it doesn't keep, so we just throw it out, because that's what normal people do?
As for the bag, I agree with the Rabbi that there's no point in it if it's going to the trash anyway.
But I saw that they wrote that it is proper, so apparently this whole thing is just an extra stringency. (You could also argue that then you're wasting another bag.)
Why throw it out? There are organizations like "Leket Israel" that deal with collecting cooked food so it won't be thrown away. Call them and let them take it…
Does it seem reasonable to you to call Leket Israel because you're throwing out half an onion?
Just use common sense. There's no point going through all the situations and all the kinds of vegetables here.
I don't see any point in putting it in a bag. Certainly not any halakhic point. Maybe they think that this is indirect destruction, while throwing it in the trash is direct destruction. In my view that has no logic at all; it's a matter of outcome.
Hi,
First of all, thanks for the answer.
I understand that regarding wasteful destruction this is not black and white.
But going back to my question about the meat on Independence Day: let's say I came to the conclusion that no one wants to take any meat and it's unnecessary for me to put so much meat in the refrigerator. Can I throw the leftover meat directly into the trash,
or do I need to put it in a special bag? I saw answers saying that it is proper, so in my opinion that means it's a stringency and not an obligation.
What does the Rabbi think?
I started thinking about the fact that if my kids eat dairy desserts and don't finish them, and say a third of one is left, I also throw it in the trash, because from my perspective starting to save every third of a dessert is too much trouble. Is there a rationale for saying that I'm fine?