Is planting a tree in Israel through JNF actually tzedaka?

Nomie

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 7:41 pm

Is it a mitzva to give $$ to JNF for planting trees in Israel? Or is it just like a nice thing to do?

zaq

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 8:04 pm

AYLOR.

September June

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 8:15 pm

IMO no but AYLOR.

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 8:31 pm

Why would it not be tzedaka?

Happy18

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 8:43 pm

How wouldn't it be considered tzedaka?

Nomie

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 9:44 pm

k, you're gonna have to help me out- what is AYLOR?

Happy18

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 9:46 pm

Ask Your Local Orthodox Rabbi

Nomie

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 9:49 pm

ha- no wonder it didn't show up in my google search- that is a pretty site-specific acronym

k- my inner hippie says it is a mitzva b/c you are beautifying the most holy of countries, and ensuring the health of the earth there...but I will ask b/c I'm interested

zaq

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 10:06 pm

Even if your LOR paskens it isn't tzedaka--don't let that stop you. It's still a good thing to do. A quick check didn't turn up a specific mitzvah to plant trees in my very condensed version of Sefer Hamitzvot, but there are several mitzvot the effects of which are to protect the environment of EY, which planting trees also does.

AYLOR is not an imamother acronym--it's pretty universal for observant jewish sites. Sometimes written as CYLOR (Consult your ....) which sounds to me like a fertility drug. But no, unlike TTFN and ROFL, not something you'd find on a general list of Net acronyms.

Marion

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 11:27 pm

zaq wrote:

וכי תבואו אל הארץ ונטעתם כל עץ

MaBelleVie

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 11:34 pm

It may be a mitzva, but likely not tzedaka.

shalhevet

Thu, Feb 14 2013, 7:35 am

cm wrote:

Why would it not be tzedaka?

Umm, why would it be tzedaka?

But I agree planting a tree in EY is a mitza. You also need to find out what % of your money given to the JNF goes on the tree, and how much on overheads, certificates, publicity, staff etc. etc.

shlomitsmum

Thu, Feb 14 2013, 7:54 am

IMO more like a tikkun olam type of mitzvah . but not tzedaka really as it takes years to benefit people (unless you consider the paid staff maybe) But that sounds like stretching the concept Confused

zaq

Thu, Feb 14 2013, 11:22 am

Marion wrote:

וכי תבואו אל הארץ ונטעתם כל עץ[/quote]

That's exactly why I checked sefer hamitzvot, as well as the book Masterplan which is another compendium of mitzvot. I did not check Rambam's list of mitzvot or any of the other versions thereof, and I'd be more than happy if anyone who did could point to where planting trees is listed as a mitzvat asseh. All I know about is the lav of not cutting down a fruit tree in time of war, by extension from which we get bal tashchit in general principle.

You stacked the cards by quoting only the first half of the pasuk. First of all it's unetaatem kol etz maachal, specifically fruit trees, not foliage trees, AND the planting does not seem to be a mitzva in and of itself. The rest of the pasuk is the lav of orlah, not eating of the fruit for the first three years. The pasuk is saying WHEN you enter the land, IF you plant fruit trees, thou shalt not eat of the fruit thereof...It is not saying thou shalt plant trees. OTOH, there is a mitzvah of yishuv haaaretz, and it's possible that planting trees, which make the land livable, comes under the rubric of that mitzvah. This is of course conjecture on my part, so take it FWIW.

The author of Masterplan views the prohibition of orlah as standing for environmental responsibility, which I am again more than happy to interpret as including planting trees to retain water and prevent soil erosion. But it does not appear to be an actual mitzvah to plant trees. If it were a mitzvah, would there not be a bracha recited at the time, as there is for putting up a mezuzah or hearing megillah?

I found this online: "The first Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rav Bentzion Meir Hai Uziel, wrote the tefilla, HaNotei'a, that is said when planting trees on Tu b'Shvat (or any other time) in the JNF forests." Note that it a tefillah, not a bracha "asher kideshanu bemitzvotav".

Great question, OP! I imagine most people give to JNF because they believe in the cause, not because it's a mitzvah, but if a person's resources are limited to the point that she can afford to give only maaser and no more, then it's indeed a kashe.

Nu, so did you AYLOR? What did he say?

Isramom8

Thu, Feb 14 2013, 6:24 pm

In elementary school we were highly encouraged to plant trees with JNF, and it was never presented as a tzedaka, just a supporting Israel/honoring a loved one thing to do.

StripedFlower

Thu, Feb 14 2013, 8:16 pm

Absolutely not tzedaka IMO.

I'm not even sure it's a mitzva, and definitely not through the JNF who use some of their trees for Avoda Zara.

http://www.jpost.com/GreenIsra.....94591

StrongIma

Fri, Feb 15 2013, 1:23 am

I had no idea before this about the AZ (thx to StripedFlower for that link) but I have been aware for a long while now that JNF plants trees not indigenous to EY and possibly harmful because of that.

Better they back up the "crazy settlers" who are trying to protect our olive groves and vineyards!!

Nomie

Mon, Feb 18 2013, 4:05 am

Wow, thank you for such thoughtful responses.

In my research of JNF, I found that they are very highly rated on Forbes' list of largest U.S. charities. http://www.forbes.com/lists/20......html

I would not be averse to giving to them on the slim chance that my tree be one that is used as a Chritmas tree- with that logic, you are suggesting that no one give to them, ever. And even if it was used as a x-mas tree-that's not avodah zarah IMO, it's holiday decor. Christians do not bow and pray to their x-mas trees.

In the end, I did not get a conclusive response from my rabbi, but I did buy 3 trees because I like trees, and I like Israel.