Canfei Nesharim

Canfei Nesharim

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Canfei Nesharim

Releases from the Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment

07/09/2013

Genesis and Human Stewardship of the Earth

In the first chapter of Genesis, twice in three verses, G-d speaks of humans ruling over other living beings. In the second instance, after creating Adam and Eve, G-d blesses them, saying "Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." What does it mean for humans to subdue the earth and have dominion over other creatures? Link to resources

5 min
01/16/2013

The Glory in Creation: Valuing Biodiversity

We live in an amazingly diverse world, with approximately 8.3 million unique species described by scientists, and likely twice that number that have not yet been discovered. Jewish sources teach that G-d has joy in the diversity and continuity of creation, and that G-d sees a purpose in each of these species. Link to resources

4 min
01/02/2013

Guard Yourselves Very Well: Protecting Our Health

The Jewish tradition places a strong value on being healthy. The Torah states, “Guard yourself and guard your soul very much" and “You shall guard yourselves very well." The Jewish Sages explain that these verses refer to the mitzvah (commandment) of protecting one’s physical body and health. Link to resources

6 min
12/20/2012

Being a Good Neighbor

Living in this world means being a neighbor. This fundamental principle is found in the very roots of the Hebrew language. According to Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch: "[The Hebrew word] shachan means both to dwell, and also to be a neighbor... In Jewish thought,to dwell means to be a neighbor. When a Jew takes a place on earth to be his dwelling place he must at the same time concede space and domain to his fellow men for a similar dwelling place." Link to resources

6 min
11/26/2012

Toward a Wiser Use of Energy

Today’s energy technologies have greatly increased material standards of living among human societies. But they also have driven significant environmental changes which are beginning to have noticeable impacts worldwide, including climate change, the BP oil spill, and Japan’s nuclear crisis. What can we learn from the Jewish tradition about how to use energy responsibly? Link to resources

6 min
11/05/2012

Let the Land Rest: Lessons from Shemita, the Sabbatical Year

Shemita, the Sabbatical Year, comprises a number of the 613 commandments (mitzvot) of the Torah . With today’s environmental challenges, these mitzvot may be more relevant and needed today than at any time in Jewish and world history. We will explore each of these commandments in an attempt to understand their timeless wisdom and application for today’s world—a world which so desperately needs a shift in our collective consciousness. Link to resources

5 min
10/17/2012

We are How We Eat: A Jewish Approach to Food and Sustainability

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov identifies the desire for food and drink as the central desire of the human being, and the one from which other desires emanate. In Rabbi Tzadok Hacohen’s “A Treatise on Eating,” he cites the mystical book of the Zohar, which calls the moment of eating “the time of combat.” This is because in eating a Jew must engage in the spiritual fight to ensure the act is a holy one. Link to resources

4 min
08/29/2012

Praying for a Sustainable World

Today’s environmental movement seems to focus strongly on doing. There are things to buy, actions to take, petitions to sign, policies to advocate. It is rare for environmentalists to think of prayer as a tool for change. Many people in today’s society think of prayer as a passive, contemplative activity – a break from action. Jewish teachings express a very different view of prayer. Prayer is one of the key tools that God has given us to change the world. Link to resources

5 min

Releases from the Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment

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Canfei Nesharim
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