Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel

With the Jewish holiday of Tu Bi’Shevat coming up this weekend, I thought we might focus on the importance of ecological stewardship as it in the Book of Genesis and Jewish mysticism. The selection I have written combines the theme of ecology and Jewish mysticism-an interesting combination!

The notion of a “world soul” is basic to Platonic and especially Stoic thought. The gist of this idea teaches that life force of the universe relates to all things on this planet much like the soul interacts with the body. Plato writes about this principle, “Therefore, we may consequently state that: this world is indeed a living being endowed with a soul and intelligence … a single visible living entity containing all other living entities, which by their nature are all related (Plato, Timaeus, 29-30).

Rabbi Haim of Volozhin (1749–1821), the great Talmudist and mystic, also likened the relationship between humankind and the world to that of the soul and the body. Just as all the organs of the body follow the life spirit of man, so too do the spiritual and physical realms move in accordance with the deeds of human beings. When humankind becomes corrupt, its corruption affects the world of nature. Rabbi Haim’s essential intuition is demonstrably correct.

Primal man viewed God’s relationship with the cosmos very differently from the way we do today. The ancients felt a “great chain of being” permeating the cosmic order; every deed, great and small, affects whatever transpires in the phenomenal world. For example, in ancient Egyptian theology, royalty reflects the divine continuation of Ma’at, the cosmic and moral order that underlies the heavenly and terrestrial universes. The failure to administer justice and truth in the kingdom threatened the well-being and future of Egyptian society. Should a Pharaoh prove to be corrupt and evil, the forces of the heavens and earth would turn against the ruling Pharaoh and his regime, as was the case with the Pharaoh who oppressed the Israelites. The biblical account of Egypt’s near destruction by the ten plagues illustrates how God orchestrated the powers of the universe to unleash destruction and mayhem on the Egyptians for failing to treat justly an enslaved population in their midst. “Choose life so that you and your descendants may live” (Deut. 30:19). By “choosing life,” we can ensure that the world we live in will thrive and prosper.

The ancient intuition about the precarious balance existing in the world affected by human behavior seems more than mythically correct. We moderns are perhaps more aware of this possibility now, with the emergence of eco-consciousness, which reminds us that what we as human beings do, affects the whole planet. The study of ecology reaffirms that a great chain of being that interconnects with all our planets life forms. The nexus of cause and effect, action and consequence are apparent in much of the Flood narrative and this theme has great importance for our current age of technological prowess. Moral turpitude does influence the physical condition of our world. Urbanization and deforestation can lead to animals becoming endangered species because of the loss of their habitat. Weather conditions change that could lead to the extinction of other species of animals around the world. Bees, for example, play a vital role in the pollination of crops, flowers, and plants that enable entire food chains to thrive on our planet but in just the U.S. alone, bee populations have decreased by 50% or more. Without bees, humankind might not be able to grow an adequate supply of food, thus affecting the food chain for countless numbers of species—including humankind. The demise of bees is a matter of considerable concern for scientists; in ecological terms, all living things play a valuable role in keeping the world healthy. Proper human stewardship plays an important role of maintaining the ecological balance and its preservation. One cannot act willy-nilly and reckless abandon when it comes to protecting the environment.

By the year 1970, the Arctic icecap was 9 feet thick, but by 2000, the Arctic thickness had diminished to five feet. If the glacier long the Antarctic ice sheet melts, it would raise the sea levels by twenty feet all over the world’s coastlines. One recent study released by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), concludes that industrial nations must cut back on greenhouse gas emissions, and warned that “unless drastic action is taken . . . millions of poor people will suffer from hunger, thirst, floods, and disease.”[1]

There is not complete unanimity on this issue. Some scientists dispute these findings and counter that cosmic rays trigger cloud formation, suggesting that a high level of solar activity—which suppresses the flow of cosmic rays striking the atmosphere—could result in fewer clouds and a warmer planet.[2] Yet, global warming is a reality that is difficult to deny. Whether it is the result of increased heating of the sun, or whether it is affected by pollution, the problem must be dealt with on a human level with mindfulness and responsibility. When in doubt, it is prudent to error on the side of caution. Practical steps ought to be taken to reduce greenhouse gases that may potentially harm the earth and its inhabitants.

Biblical views regarding stewardship of our world’s resources teaches us that the world is not grounded in an anthropocentric view of reality; if anything, God expects humankind to behave in a manner that is ecocentrically responsible. While humanity plays a central role in Creation, God’s concerns are no less inclusive off all the sundry species that exist. Genesis stresses that there is a genuine connection between action and consequence in the creative order that we experience. It is not enough to feel gratitude for everything God has made; attentive behavior demands responsibility.

Perhaps the most important lesson emerging from the early chapters of Genesis is the belief that the fate of the natural order is impacted by the moral stewardship of the planet. A lapse in societal ethics can and will affect creative order. As we have seen in Genesis 4:1–16, Cain’s murder of his brother Abel affects the earth. The same message is evident in the Flood narrative as well, for the Flood came to purify the Earth from human wickedness and exploitation. These particular theological themes play a pivotal role in the subsequent biblical passages pertaining to the fate of the land, which depends upon human stewardship as defined by the sundry precepts of God’s Torah (e.g. Deut. 28).