Jewish Perspectives on Water
Mayim Chayyim: The Waters of Life
A Brief Exploration of Water in Jewish Texts and History cont.

If we were to walk in the woods and a spring appeared just when we became thirsty, we would call it a miracle. And if on a second walk, if we became thirsty at just that point again, and again the spring appeared, we would remark on the coincidence. But if that spring were there always, we would take it for granted and cease to notice it. Yet is that not more miraculous still? -- Israel Baal Shem Tov (1700-1760), Eastern Europe

Tashlikh and the Sea
by Rabbi Lawrence Troster
and Kirsten S. Kleinman

From the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life

On the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah (or the second if the first is Shabbat), there is an ancient tradition, in which we go to a natural body of water like a stream or a pond and throw crumbs into the water while reciting several verses from Scripture. It is called tashlikh. In Micah 7:18-20, the prophet proclaims the uniqueness of God in being forgiving of the people Israel. He says, "you will again have compassion upon us, subduing our sins and casting (ve-tashlikh in Hebrew) all our sins into the depths of the sea."

When one participates in this ceremony, it gives you a feeling of the casting away of the burdens that we carry from the year before. It can be a cathartic experience that serves to refresh and renew us for the coming year. The sea, then, is the place where we dump our unwanted spiritual waste.

Our ancestors felt that the sea was almost bottomless and beyond the impact of human activity. An environmental scientist once related that high school science textbooks still reflected that idea as late as the early 1960s. We now know that the sea is not bottomless and that we can have an adverse affect on it, especially those parts of it that are of the most value for the biosphere. We can no longer dump our waste without thought into the sea.

So when we do tashlikh, we should reflect that the sea in fact does contain the environmental sins of humanity, but that we cannot escape them any more. While God may be as forgiving as a bottomless deep, the real oceans must be taken care of as any part of creation.

Let tashlikh this year remind us that the sea is part of Creation that touches all life and requires our restoration. One way is to watch which fish we take from the sea for food. Many of the common fish that we eat or are served in many restaurants are in decline. If you want to know which fish you should avoid or only eat occasionally, see www.montereybayaquarium.org, where you can download a seafood guide. There are regional versions that are updated twice a year.

Take another green tashlikh action this year. As you let go of disheartening past actions, why not clear your house of superfluous material items, too? Turn your clutter into tzedakah as you give your unwanted goods to a worthy charity. At the same time, protect the environment from overflowing landfills! Some charities accepting household and clothing donations include: Jewish Family & Children’s Services, B’nai B’rith, or contact your local Jewish Family Service Organization or National Council of Jewish Women Chapter.