1. Do we have one law for the stranger and the citizen today?
2. What is the value placed on human life in this text?
1. What does it mean to be "in the house of God"?
2. What ideals are espoused in this text?
3. What is the imagery of peace seen in this text?
1. What social justice lessons emerge from this text?
2. What does this text teach us about war and conflict?
3. How should we think about war, based upon this text?
| Translation | Original |
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| When the Holy One created the human being, He took him and led him around all the trees of the Garden of Eden and said to him: Behold my works, how beautiful they are. All that I have created is within your domain. Take care, therefore, that you do not destroy My world, for if you do, there will be no one else to set it right after you. | ראה את מעשה האלהים כי מי יוכל לתקן את אשר עותו, בשעה שברא הקב"ה את אדם הראשון נטלו והחזירו על כל אילני גן עדן ואמר לו ראה מעשי כמה נאים ומשובחין הן וכל מה שבראתי בשבילך בראתי, תן דעתך שלא תקלקל ותחריב את עולמי, שאם קלקלת אין מי שיתקן אחריך, ולא עוד שאת גורם מיתה לאותו צדיק, משל משה רבינו למה"ד, לאשה עוברה שהיתה חבושה בבית האסורים, ילדה שם בן גדלה שם ומתה שם, לימים עבר המלך על פתח האסורים כשהמלך עובר התחיל אותו הבן צווח, ואומר אדני המלך כאן נולדתי כאן גדלתי באיזה חטא אני נתון כאן איני יודע, אמר לו בחטא של אמך, כך במשה כמו שכתוב הן האדם היה כאחד כתיב הן קרבו ימיך למות. |
Describe ways humanity “works” the earth. Are these good or bad or neutral?
Describe ways humanity “protects” the earth. Are these good or bad or neutral?
Do these two concepts (of “working” and “protecting”) contradict or complement each other? How?
Pursue the meaning of “working” the earth. This could include exploring it, using it, developing it, changing it. It could include building upon it, damming the waters, harnessing its renewable energy, inventing materials, medicines, fabrics, farming, etc., to increase the quality of human (and animal) life. Does this midrash endorse such uses or not? It seems to do so when it says, “All I have created is within your domain.” Humans have
been given the world, according to the biblical story, and are instructed by the word “l’ovdah” (work it) to make it a better place.
The question is: what is permissible in the arena of “working the earth” and what is not? When is it necessary and good to “protect and preserve” the world. L’shomrah has both meanings: as if the best way to protect something is to preserve it. Is that always the case?
Even the concept of tikkun olam implies constant change and constant improvement. Today, especially in light of popular kabbalistic lore, we read tikkun as fixing a world that has been broken, restoring it to a pristine condition. This is not so in the biblical text. There we are bidden “to work and to tend” as part of the natural order. This tikkun assumes a world in constant need of tending as part of the natural order, but never one that was perfect to begin with. Tikkun then is not something we do because something went wrong. Tikkun is something we do as part of our constituttive identity: the reason we were created in the first place. If this tikkun, this work, requires changing the world, the question is: what are the boundaries? When does work become destructive instead of constructive? How do we balance “tending/working” and “preserving/protecting”?
What/how does this story make you feel?
Do you find it compelling that a contemporary environmental ethic is reflected in this classical text? What differences do you notice between contemporary environmentalism and the perspective reflected in this text?
What do you think about the idea that each individual has a personal obligation to protect the environment? How might that be different from making an individual contribution towards a collective effort?
What is the intention of this law? To what extent is it followed?
What does this text imply about environmentalism?
| Translation | Original |
|---|---|
| The Midrash (Mekhilta to Exodus 20:22) explains the law against using iron for the construction of the altar (Exodus 20:22) on the grounds that the altar stones were created to atone for man and prolong his life whereas iron, from which weapons of war are made, shortens man's life and it is not right to bring the two into contact with one another. The Midrash continues: "Now there is here an argument from the minor to the major. If the stones of the altar, which neither see nor hear nor speak, yet because they promote peace between Israel and their Father in Heaven, said that no iron must be lifted up on them, then how much more will he who promotes peace between city and city, nation and nation, government and government be saved from trouble!" | כי חרבך הנפת עליה וגו'. מכאן היה רבי שמעון בן אלעזר אומר, המזבח נברא להאריך שנותיו של אדם, והברזל נברא לקצר שנותיו של אדם, אינו רשאי להניף המקצר על המאריך. רבן יוחנן בן זכאי אומר, הרי הוא אומר +דברים כז ו+ אבנים שלמות תבנה, אבנים שמטילות שלום. והרי דברי' ק"ו ומה אם אבני מזבח שאינן לא רואות ולא שומעות ולא מדברות, על שמטילות שלום בין ישראל לאביהם שבשמים, אמר הקב"ה +שם שם /דברים כז/ ה+ לא תניף עליהם ברזל, המטיל שלום בין איש לאיש בין איש לאשתו בין עיר לעיר בין אומה לאומה בין ממשלה לממשלה בין משפחה למשפחה, על אחת כמה כמה שלא תבואהו פורענות. |
1. What social justice themes emerge from this text?
2. How is one who promotes peace viewed?
3. How is one who promotes war viewed?
1. What social justice themes emerge from this text?
2. How do the rabbis interpret the verse from Isaiah?
3. What view of war emerges from this text?
1. What does this text say about war?
2. How does God view war?
| Translation | Original |
|---|---|
| Whenever a person can save another person’s life but fails to do so, he transgresses a negative commandment, as Leviticus 19:16 states: “Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor.” Similarly, [this commandment applies] when a person sees a colleague drowning at sea or being attacked by robbers or a wild animal, and he can save him himself or can hire others to save him and does not. Similarly, [it applies] when he hears [others] conspiring to harm a colleague or planning a snare for him, and he does not inform him and notify him [of the danger]. And similarly this is true if he knows of others scheming to harm a friend and can appease the conspirator and prevent him from carrying out the plot and does not, and all things in this vein, the one who does these things transgresses the commandment of "Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor." [AJWS translation] |
כל היכול להציל ולא הציל עובר על (ויקרא י"ט ,ט"ז) לא תעמוד על דם רעך, וכן הרואה את חבירו טובע בים או ליסטים באים עליו או חיה רעה באה עליו ויכול להצילו הוא בעצמו או שישכור אחרים להצילו ולא הציל, או ששמע גוים או מוסרים מחשבים עליו רעה או טומנין לו פח ולא גלה אוזן חבירו והודיעו, או שידע בגוי או באנס שהוא קובל על חבירו ויכול לפייסו בגלל חבירו ולהסיר מה שבלבו ולא פייסו, וכל כיוצא בדברים אלו, העושה אותם עובר על לא תעמוד על דם רעך.
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1. What are the implications of being able to hire others to save someone?
2. In a globalized society, who are our neighbors?
| Translation | Original |
|---|---|
| Both the roof and any other object of potential danger, by which it is likely that a person could be fatally injured, such a well or a pit on his property, whether or not there is water in it, require that the owner build a barrier at least ten handbreadths high or make a cover for it so that no one will fall in and die. And so regarding any situation which has mortal danger, one has a positive commandment to remove the danger and guard it and be very careful with it as it says, "Be careful" and "Guard your soul" (Deuteronomy 4,9) and if one does not remove it but leaves those obstacles allowing potential danger, one transgresses a positive commandment and negates a negative commandment “Thou shall not spill blood.” [AJWS translation] |
אחד הגג ואחד כל דבר שיש בו סכנה וראוי שיכשל בו אדם וימות כגון שהיתה לו באר או בור בחצירו בין שיש בהן מים בין שאין בהן מים חייב לעשות להן חוליה גבוהה עשרה טפחים או לעשות לה כסוי כדי שלא יפול בה אדם וימות. וכן כל ג מכשול שיש בו סכנת נפשות מצות עשה להסירו ולהשמר ממנו ולהזהר בדבר יפה יפה שנ' (דברים ד' ט') השמר לך ושמור נפשך, ואם לא הסיר, והניח המכשולות המביאין לידי סכנה, ביטל מצות עשה ועבר על לא תשים דמים.
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1. What are dangers that we know about that we have not yet succeeding in protecting people from - domestically and internationally?
3. In what ways do we need government to help us with this?
1. What are our responsibilities to our fellow man/woman?
2. How far does our responsibility extend?
3. What does it mean to "prevent oneself from saving a life?"
1. What constitutes an obstacle that endangers life? Would lack of access to medical care count? Lack of access to education?
2. In what ways can business practices count as obstacles? In what ways do they not?