Bereishit; Genesis 1:1-6:8
With the holiday of Simchat Torah comes the beginning of the new Torah reading cycle. Once a year we end the book of Deuteronomy and begin immediately the reading of Genesis. This symbolizes the never-ending place of Torah in a Jews life. The continuous story of our people is meant to engage us in an ongoing discussion of the values, ethics and history of our people. This cycle keeps us connected to our discussion and dialogue with God.
With Shabbat Bereshitwe read of the creation of the universe and the world. The story of our human beginnings takes place in the Garden of Eden. God creates the first human being in a world of beauty, a utopia, a perfect setting. God place the first human there to work it and guard. And so from the very start, human beings have a task, a purpose. We are to work the garden to keep it from harm.
This should be the basis for our care of our planet. While we are to work the land we are also to guard it. This very value should inform our approach to the environment. We must balance the need for resources on the one hand, and protection of our air, water, and land on the other.
Jewish tradition teaches, that while we human beings have a higher role to play in the world than the animals, as part of Gods sacred creation, we have a responsibility to guard and protect the animals as well. Each creature in Gods creation has a role to play and we human beings as partners with God in this work of creation must also honor, celebrate and support those roles. Thus we have a responsibility to the animal kingdom as well to guard and protect. In Chapter 2 of Genesis, God at creates the animals to be Adams partners and helpers in the task of caring for the Garden. But Adam and God realize that only another kind of human being can be the true helper of Adam. And thus the female version of human beings come to the Garden in the form of Eve, mother of all life.
The Garden of Eden was a place of cooperation. Adam had to cooperate with the animals, and with Eve to care for this unique and special place. For us to find Eden once again, we too, should emphasize cooperation with our environment and be willing to challenge those who do harm to our worldcorporations who pollute, governments who ignore sound environmental policy, and politicians who would sell out our interests to big business. But we should also work at the individual and every day level to guard the Garden of Gods creation, turn off faucets of running water, recycle plastics and paper, use less electricity and energy in our homes.
These will help us work the garden and guard it as well.
Posted by Lee at October 12, 2004 11:13 AM
