H EADLINES
A New Commandment: Killing Spotted Lanternfl ies?
L OCA L
SASHA ROGELBERG | JE STAFF
UNDER THE SHOES of
many-a-Philadelphian, you
may fi nd a squished spotted
lanternfl y: black-speckled gray
and red wings, splayed limply
across one’s outer sole.

Th e spotted lanternfl y made
its Delaware Valley debut in
2014 when it traversed from
Southeast Asia to the United
States. Making their home in
trees of heaven, the lanternfl ies
lay wads of eggs, and have multi-
plied rapidly, secreting a sticky
substance that attracts black
mold and harms local crops.

Th e Pennsylvania Department
of Agriculture has a clear request
for those who encounter the
insects: Kill them on sight.

“Th ere are good bugs, and
there are bad bugs,” said Shannon
Powers, the department’s press
secretary. And according to
Powers, spotted lanternfl ies are
bad bugs.

Though entomologists
seemingly have no moral quanda-
ries putting spotted lanternfl ies
on their hit list, Jewish thinkers
approach the killing a little more
cautiously. A number of rabbis
admitted to reluctantly squashing
lanternfl ies if they spot one, but
did not feel equipped to answer
whether killing them is a Jewish
solution to the issue of combating
invasive species.

Still, however reluctant some
local Jewish thinkers were, the
consensus on killing the bugs
was clear:
“It is permissible,” said
Rabbi Yochonon Goldman
of B’nai Abraham Chabad in
Philadelphia. “You’re not allowed
to kill a creature for no justifi able
reason. If a creature is a nuisance
or doing damage, then there’s no
problem killing it.”
Th e reasons for killing the
lanternfl ies are more than justi-
fi able, Powers said. In addition
to the insects fl ocking to areas
where people gather — outdoor
dining and sporting events
— creating an unpleasant
environment for humans, they
have had a tangible agricultural
and economic impact.

Spotted lanternflies are
particularly fond of grape
plants, attacking vineyards by
consuming sap that the plants
produce, and converting it into
a substance called “honeydew,”
which they spray on the plants,
blocking photosynthesis and
attracting black mold that draws
in other insects.

Besides this not boding well
for the Jewish people’s consensus
kiddush drink of choice, it also
has devastating agricultural
The Pennsylvania
Department of
Agriculture urges
people to kill spotted
lanternfl ies; Jewish
thinkers believe this
is permissible under
Jewish law and
ethics. Courtesy of the
Pennsylvania Department
of Agriculture
repercussions. Since the lanternfl ies’ arrival,
they have threatened more than
$18 billion in Pennsylvania’s
commodities, Powers said.

For that reason in particular,
Rabbi Yitzchok Leizerowski
of Bais Medrash Harav in
Philadelphia believes that
stomping on spotted lanternfl ies
may even be a mitzvah.

“Pikuach nefesh — saving a
human life!” Leizerowski said.

Even if it’s a preventative
measure, killing a spotted
lanternfl y could be considered
a mitzvah — commonly trans-
lated as “a good deed,” but in
actuality means something closer
to a commandment — because
the bug’s death could ensure the
economic survival of a farmer or
preserve a future food source.

For those still uncomfortable
with the idea of taking a life, even
of an insect, consider weighing
the pros and cons, said Michael
Weisberg, the chair of philosophy
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6 SEPTEMBER 16, 2021
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