Tension Between Study and the Environmental Ethic in Judaism
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Share(כו) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֔ים נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה אָדָ֛ם בְּצַלְמֵ֖נוּ כִּדְמוּתֵ֑נוּ וְיִרְדּוּ֩ בִדְגַ֨ת הַיָּ֜ם וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם וּבַבְּהֵמָה֙ וּבְכָל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וּבְכָל־הָרֶ֖מֶשׂ הָֽרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃(כז) וַיִּבְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ אֶת־הָֽאָדָם֙ בְּצַלְמ֔וֹ בְּצֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א אֹת֑וֹ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה בָּרָ֥א אֹתָֽם׃(כח) וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֹתָם֮ אֱלֹהִים֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָהֶ֜ם אֱלֹהִ֗ים פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֛וּ וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁ֑הָ וּרְד֞וּ בִּדְגַ֤ת הַיָּם֙ וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וּבְכָל־חַיָּ֖ה הָֽרֹמֶ֥שֶׂת עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃(כט) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים הִנֵּה֩ נָתַ֨תִּי לָכֶ֜ם אֶת־כָּל־עֵ֣שֶׂב ׀ זֹרֵ֣עַ זֶ֗רַע אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י כָל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְאֶת־כָּל־הָעֵ֛ץ אֲשֶׁר־בּ֥וֹ פְרִי־עֵ֖ץ זֹרֵ֣עַ זָ֑רַע לָכֶ֥ם יִֽהְיֶ֖ה לְאָכְלָֽה׃(ל) וּֽלְכָל־חַיַּ֣ת הָ֠אָרֶץ וּלְכָל־ע֨וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם וּלְכֹ֣ל ׀ רוֹמֵ֣שׂ עַל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־בּוֹ֙ נֶ֣פֶשׁ חַיָּ֔ה אֶת־כָּל־יֶ֥רֶק עֵ֖שֶׂב לְאָכְלָ֑ה וַֽיְהִי־כֵֽן׃(לא) וַיַּ֤רְא אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֔ה וְהִנֵּה־ט֖וֹב מְאֹ֑ד וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם הַשִּׁשִּֽׁי׃ (פ)
(26) And God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. They shall rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the cattle, the whole earth, and all the creeping things that creep on earth.”(27) And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.(28) God blessed them and God said to them, “Be fertile and increase, fill the earth and master it; and rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and all the living things that creep on earth.”(29) God said, “See, I give you every seed-bearing plant that is upon all the earth, and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit; they shall be yours for food.(30) And to all the animals on land, to all the birds of the sky, and to everything that creeps on earth, in which there is the breath of life, [I give] all the green plants for food.” And it was so.(31) And God saw all that He had made, and found it very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Discussion Questions:
1. What language is used to describe people's relationship with nature?
2. If you were to create diagram of people, nature and God as described in this text, how would you do so?
3. What kinds of foods are people expected to eat?
2. If you were to create diagram of people, nature and God as described in this text, how would you do so?
3. What kinds of foods are people expected to eat?
(ד) אֵ֣לֶּה תוֹלְד֧וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ בְּהִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם בְּי֗וֹם עֲשׂ֛וֹת יהוה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶ֥רֶץ וְשָׁמָֽיִם׃(ה) וְכֹ֣ל ׀ שִׂ֣יחַ הַשָּׂדֶ֗ה טֶ֚רֶם יִֽהְיֶ֣ה בָאָ֔רֶץ וְכָל־עֵ֥שֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה טֶ֣רֶם יִצְמָ֑ח כִּי֩ לֹ֨א הִמְטִ֜יר יהוה אֱלֹהִים֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְאָדָ֣ם אַ֔יִן לַֽעֲבֹ֖ד אֶת־הָֽאֲדָמָֽה׃(ו) וְאֵ֖ד יַֽעֲלֶ֣ה מִן־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְהִשְׁקָ֖ה אֶֽת־כָּל־פְּנֵֽי־הָֽאֲדָמָֽה׃(ז) וַיִּיצֶר֩ יהוה אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֗ם עָפָר֙ מִן־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה וַיִּפַּ֥ח בְּאַפָּ֖יו נִשְׁמַ֣ת חַיִּ֑ים וַֽיְהִ֥י הָֽאָדָ֖ם לְנֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּֽה׃
(4) Such is the story of heaven and earth when they were created. When the LORD God made earth and heaven—(5) when no shrub of the field was yet on earth and no grasses of the field had yet sprouted, because the LORD God had not sent rain upon the earth and there was no man to till the soil,(6) but a flow would well up from the ground and water the whole surface of the earth—(7) the LORD God formed man from the dust of the earth. He blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.
(טו) וַיִּקַּ֛ח יהוה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיַּנִּחֵ֣הוּ בְגַן־עֵ֔דֶן לְעָבְדָ֖הּ וּלְשָׁמְרָֽהּ׃
(15) The LORD God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden, to till it and tend it.
Discussion Questions:
1. How does the description of the creation of humankind differ in this text from that in Genesis 1?
2. What kind of language is used to describe people's relationship with nature?
3. Do you think that this story describes the same event or a different one?
4. What language would you use to describe your relationship with nature?
2. What kind of language is used to describe people's relationship with nature?
3. Do you think that this story describes the same event or a different one?
4. What language would you use to describe your relationship with nature?
(ז) ... רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, הַמְהַלֵּךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְשׁוֹנֶה, וּמַפְסִיק מִמִּשְׁנָתוֹ וְאוֹמֵר, מַה נָּאֶה אִילָן זֶה וּמַה נָּאֶה נִיר זֶה, מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ מִתְחַיֵּב בְּנַפְשׁוֹ:
(7) ...Rabbi Shimon says: He who is walking on the way and repeating his studies, and interrupts his studies and says, "How lovely is this tree! And how lovely is this newly plowed field!" - Scripture considers him as if he is liable for [forfeiture of] his life.
(ד)רבי יעקב אומר המהלך בדרך ושונה ומפסיק ממשנתו וכו'. כי בעוד שהאדם שונה אין לו להשיח שיחת חולין כי צריך לעמוד ביראה ובאימה לפני התורה כענין שאמרו (שבת ל:) כל תלמיד ששונה ואין שפתותיו נוטפין מור תכוינה מאחר שהוא משתמש בכתרו של תורה שהוא כתרו של הקב"ה צריך שלא ידבר שיחה בטלה ואם קל ראשו להפסיק ממשנתו הרי זה מתחייב בנפשו והדין נותן:
(4)Rabbi Yaakov says: He who is walking on the way and repeating his studies, and interrupts his studies, etc.: As when a person is still studying, he should not [be involved in] mundane conversation, since he needs to stand in fear and awe in front of the Torah. [It is] like the matter that they said (Shabbat 30b), "Any student who is learning and his lips do not drip with myrrh, let him be burnt." Since he is using the crown of Torah which is the crown of the Holy One, blessed be He, he needs to not speak idly. And if he becomes light-headed to interrupt his studies, behold "he is liable for [forfeiture of] his life." And this is in line with justice.
(ב)מַה נָּאֶה אִילָן זֶה מַה נָּאֶה נִיר זֶה. הוּא הַדִּין לְכָל שִׂיחָה בְּטֵלָה, אֶלָּא שֶׁדִּבֵּר בַּהֹוֶה שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ הוֹלְכֵי דְּרָכִים לְדַבֵּר בְּמַה שֶּׁרוֹאִים בְּעֵינֵיהֶם. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, דְּאַשְׁמוֹעִינַן רְבוּתָא דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּעַל יְדֵי כֵן הוּא מְבָרֵךְ בָּרוּךְ שֶׁכָּכָה לוֹ בְּעוֹלָמוֹ, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן מַעֲלִין עָלָיו כְּאִלּוּ מִתְחַיֵּב בְּנַפְשׁוֹ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִפְסִיק מִמִּשְׁנָתוֹ:
(2)"'How lovely is this tree! And how lovely is this newly plowed field'": This is true of all idle talk, but it is speaking according to what is common; as it is the way of wayfarers to speak about what they see with their eyes. And some say that it comes to make us understand a novelty: that even though through this, he will make the blessing, 'Blessed is He, Who it is like this in His world;' nonetheless, Scripture considers it as if he was liable for his life, because he interrupted his study.
(ג)נִיר. תֶּלֶם הַמַּחֲרֵשָׁה, כְּמוֹ נִירוּ לָכֶם נִיר (ירמיה ד):
(3)"'nir (newly plowed field)'": The furrow of a plow, as in (Jeremiah 4:3), "plow for yourselves a furrow."
Yosef Caro on Pirkei Avot 3:7
It seems to me that Rabbi Jacob's words refer to the following -- There are certain people who know the Blessed Creator through His amazing creations, as in "The heavens declare Your Glory, O God" (Ps. 19). And it is not only in the high heavens that on can discern the actions of the Creator, but also in the seed in the ground, and in the fruit of the tree, that grows in the field, in the lowly mosses that can be seen growing on walls, all the way to the mighty, lofty cedars of Lebanon, because all these express the might of God and His wonders....
We were instructed about [the importance of] learning, and the testimony of the Torah, so that we don't rely exclusively on the testimony of nature alone.