Throwing Bread for Tashlich

Question

I have read articles that say throwing bread in a river for tashlich is very harmful to the ecosystem. Are there any environmentally friendly alternatives that are acceptable?

0

Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    I was intrigued by your question as I have never heard of such an idea before, so I started searching around to see if I could find any resources that talk about it and explain what the problem might be. While I found a few places where it mentioned that the city ordinances forbade throwing bread into the water, none of them actually explained what the specific problem was other than a general mention of the wildlife in the area. If you have any specific information about what the problem is I would be fascinated to see it!

    In any event, I would suggest that you go to the water and recite all the verses of Tashlich without throwing anything into the water. In that way you have performed Tashlich and you have not harmed the ecosystem in any way.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team