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Is there anything wrong with destroying plant life for no reason? Does plant life hold any value according to Judaism?

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    You mean, above and beyond the standard mitzva of not destroying things for no reason?
    – Rabbi Kaii
    Commented Aug 9 at 14:29
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    sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.20.19
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Aug 9 at 14:31
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    @DoubleAA -- The OP said "for no reason". In the context of Dev. 20:19, you have a reason for cutting down trees. It's just not good enough.
    – Maurice Mizrahi
    Commented Aug 9 at 16:49
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    @DoubleAA the fruit? The value for the human appreciation for goodness and peace? Or is it more "trees are on the spectrum of 'living beings', and therefore damaging them is on the spectrum of tzar baalei chaim or even murder". I would suggest, Seeker, that you add more detail about what exactly you are asking because it can be understood in a few ways imo. I was in a class once where someone asked the Rabbi if cutting down trees should be forbidden because maybe they feel pain and we don't know ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
    – Rabbi Kaii
    Commented Aug 9 at 17:12
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    @RabbiKaii I hear what you're saying but I was asking in general. All of your points can be valid answers on why it could be assur. In fact, an answer looking at it from all of those perspectives and considerations would be great. I just don't want to influence the answer in any way by pointing it in a certain direction when/if there are multiple different possible reasons
    – Seeker
    Commented Aug 9 at 19:04

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You may not destroy even a grain of mustard for no reason. The Sefer HaChinuch, a systematic discussion of all 613 commandments from 13th-century Spain, writes:

This the way of the pious and righteous people: They love peace, they are happy for the good of the creatures, they bring them close to Torah, and they do not destroy even a grain of mustard in the world. And they are distressed by all the loss and destruction that they see. And if they can prevent any destruction, they will do so with all their strength. But not so the wicked… They rejoice in the destruction of the world, and they destroy themselves — [since] in the way that a person measures, so is he measured. [Sefer HaChinuch, Mitzvah 529]

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  • "THEY do not..." is not an obligating Halachah. Don't you throw away breadcrumbs?
    – Al Berko
    Commented Aug 12 at 10:54
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    @ To the birds outside, yes.
    – QwertyCTRL.
    Commented Aug 13 at 11:27

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