Mutual responsibility for commons & community safety
When a man opens a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or an ass falls into it,
This passage of the Talmud continues on about pits & fumes
"According to the Torah, anyone who digs a pit and leaves it negligently open is liable to pay for damages caused when people or animals fall in (Exodus 21:33.) This category of "pit" looms large in later rabbinic law, expanded to "one who digs a ditch, or a cave, trenches or channels," really, any sort of obstacle that can cause harm (Bava Kamma 50b.) In all these cases, the owner is required to make amends for the harm they have caused. The rabbis even consider the harm caused by dangerous fumes that are emitted from such pits. Are not mines the great "pits" of our day? The damage that mining caused remains in our lands, waters, and air. Only by making proper restitution to the miners, their communities, and Earth, can we fulfill these legal and moral commitments. "For I the Lord loves justice; I hate robbery and wrong; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them" (Isaiah 61:8.) – Teaching by Hody Nemes"
https://www.jewishearthalliance.org/alerts/invest-in-the-future-of-coal-mining-communities-january
Ownership vs stewardship of land
(ב) אֶרֶץ אוֹמֶרֶת. לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר לַיי הָאָרֶץ וּמְלוֹאָהּ תֵּבֵל וְיֹשְׁבֵי בָּה: (תהילים כד א)
(2) The Earth is saying: “The earth and every thing in it are YHVH’s; the inhabited area and all that dwell within it.”
(א) רְאֵה אֶת מַעֲשֵׂה הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי מִי יוּכַל לְתַקֵּן אֵת אֲשֶׁר עִוְּתוֹ, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, נְטָלוֹ וְהֶחֱזִירוֹ עַל כָּל אִילָנֵי גַּן עֵדֶן, וְאָמַר לוֹ, רְאֵה מַעֲשַׂי כַּמָּה נָאִים וּמְשֻׁבָּחִין הֵן, וְכָל מַה שֶּׁבָּרָאתִי בִּשְׁבִילְךָ בָּרָאתִי, תֵּן דַּעְתְּךָ שֶׁלֹא תְקַלְקֵל וְתַחֲרִיב אֶת עוֹלָמִי, שֶׁאִם קִלְקַלְתָּ אֵין מִי שֶׁיְתַקֵּן אַחֲרֶיךָ...
(1) Look at God's work - for who can straighten what He has twisted? (Ecclesiastes 7:13). When the Blessed Holy One created the first human, He took him and led him round all the trees of the Garden of Eden and said to him: “Look at My works, how beautiful and praiseworthy they are! And all that I have created, it was for you that I created it. Pay attention that you do not corrupt and destroy My world: if you corrupt it, there is no one to repair it after you...
Technologies for Holistic Relationship
Shmitah
Yovel
Shabbat
Sanctuary cities
Thus showing the importance of non-terminal seeds
I who learn Torah am God’s creature and my counterpart who engages in other labor is God’s creature.
My work is in the city and his work is in the field.
I rise early for my work and he rises early for his work.
And just as he does not presume to perform my work, so I do not presume to perform his work.
Lest you say: I engage in Torah study a lot, while he only engages in Torah study a little, so I am better than he,
it has already been taught:
One who brings a substantial sacrifice and one who brings a meager sacrifice have equal merit,
as long as he directs his heart towards Heaven (Rav Hai Gaon, Arukh).
Case study: Water in Dry Places
Case study: Scarcity mindset
Genesis Rabbah 48.
Genesis 18:21; Yalkut Shimoni, Bereishit 83.
Scarcity Mindset and the Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
(י) אַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת בָּאָדָם. הָאוֹמֵר שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלִּי וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלָּךְ, זוֹ מִדָּה בֵינוֹנִית. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, זוֹ מִדַּת סְדוֹם. שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלְּךָ וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלִּי, עַם הָאָרֶץ. שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלְּךָ וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלָּךְ, חָסִיד. שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלִּי וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלִּי, רָשָׁע:
(10) There are four types of character in human beings:One that says: “mine is mine, and yours is yours”: this is a commonplace type; and some say this is a sodom-type of character. [One that says:] “mine is yours and yours is mine”: is an unlearned person (am haaretz); [One that says:] “mine is yours and yours is yours” is a pious person. [One that says:] “mine is mine, and yours is mine” is a wicked person.
And there are some who say that is the temperament of Sodom: The thing is close to coming to the temperament of Sodom. As since he gets accustomed to this, he will not want to give benefit to his fellow - even with something that benefits his fellow and he does not [lose anything as a result]. And this was the temperament of Sodom. As they were intending to stop sojourners from among them, even though the land was broad-shouldered in front of them and they did not lack anything.