On the Sixth Day of Creation, God created Adam. God led Adam around the Garden of Eden to acquaint them with their surroundings. Our rabbis of old imagined a bit of the instructions God left Adam (the text is featured below).* One vital point God enjoined upon Adam was the warning not to corrupt and destroy the world because there would be no one to follow and repair it. There are two important points in God’s warning. First, God’s injunction is negative, “Don’t corrupt and destroy the Earth.”; this is a different instruction from,
“You must preserve and protect the Earth.” The phrase in the midrash is a lot like handing the keys of your car to a teenager and saying, “Don’t wreck it.”, rather than saying, “Drive safe.” Second, inherent in this midrash is the idea that the world can only be spoiled if humans do it. Left to its own devices, the midrash seems to imply, the world would be just fine. We would be wise to take both these prompts to heart: the world was created for us, and don’t ruin it for others.
In a month’s time Temple Emanu-El will celebrate Tu BiShvat, the New Year for Trees, and Green Week. Tu BiShvat serves as a reminder for how much bounty the Earth provides for us, AND the obligation we have to preserve it for the generations that follow. As a congregational family who aspires to live out the value, Shm’irat haTeva, the Preservation of Nature, we mark a yearly dedication to our own Green efforts.
Beginning the calendar year with Tu BiShvat is fitting, as the calendar year comes to a close and we make resolutions for a new secular year, we focus first on not spoiling and destroying the only home we have. In the past year, Temple Emanu-El has made the enormous switch to reusable table settings at our events. Now that we are gathering in person, the switch to washable dishes is a considerable change that will prevent us from adding more to our landfills. Our aspiration is that Temple Emanu-El will serve as a symbolic exemplar of responsible consumption and inspire others to make similar changes to their lives.
When the Blessed Holy One created the first human, God took them and led them round all the trees of the Garden of Eden and said to them: “Look at My works, how beautiful and praiseworthy they are! And all that I have created, it was for you that I created it. Pay attention that you do not corrupt and destroy My world: if you corrupt it, there is no one to repair it after you
Kohelet Rabbah 7:13
May we enjoy the Earth and all its bounty AND ensure the generations ahead will do the same.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Max
*Kohelet=the Book of Ecclesiastes
