(bShab 17b) In the Temple period, Jews regularly donated a portion of their agricultural produce. But what about any resown, regrown donations? No such tax haven in halakha, at least according to Tavi the hunter (!). Tavi reports that one of the 18 Enactments is a preventive measure that stipulates that any resown or regrown donation (terumah) is still subject to the donation rules. So the next generation grown must still be donated in part to the priestly class.
What were the rabbis trying to prevent? Pollution (well, the ritual sort = tumah).
According to Rava*, an Enactment declares that plants grown from donated seeds, still must be donated (in part). To prevent the priestly recipients of donated seeds from merely replanting these seeds, the sages further ruled that any Next Generation donation regrowth would retains its purity status. Therefore, from one generation to the next, produce that is tumah would continue to be impure, polluted.
Similarly, inter-generational pollution is a raw problem in toxicality.
Examples of inter-generational toxic effects include endocrine disruption, genotoxicity, mutagenicity.
Such inter-generational risks are illustrated clearly by the story of the DES daughters (and sons).
See Late lessons from early warnings: the precautionary principle 1896-2000 for the DES and other cases where business (and gov't) failed to heed indicators of long-term health dangers.
(May 27th) USA Today reports another example: a pervasive class of pollutants, known as phthalates, harm reproductive development in embryo and newborns.
The talmudic sages are keenly aware of the need for precautionary measures. Indeed, precaution is one of the 3 hallmarks of the rabbinic movement (mAvot 1:1). A typical precautionary measure is known as a "fence around the Torah" and, critical to our daf yomi readings, as an Enactment or "Gezerah". So the 18 Enactments are preventive "gezerah" that deal with ritual pollution, commerce, etc. It would be premature (and likely wrong) to draw too much of an analogy between the halakha on ritual pollution and ethics of modern toxic pollution.
Nevertheless, let's keep an eye out for "gezerah" and other talmudic prevention measures that may inspire, inform or critique precautionary efforts.
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