Why Us?

By Alisha Deluty
KOC Assistant Editor
JTS / Columbia University

Having lived in New York City for my entire life, I have always been somewhat immune to the masses of garbage and pollution that exist. Just looking outside my window here on the Upper West Side in Manhattan, I see the large black garbage bags that line the streets. This, as well as the polluted air, which I have become used to breathing, harms the environment. But why should we, as Jewish college students, be so concerned with the protection of the earth?

If we look at the creation story in Bereishit, we see from the very beginning that after God creates human beings, God tells the man and woman that they are the ones who must take care of everything that God has just created. God says in Bereishit 1:28:

The JPS translation of the Bible suggests that the man and woman and their descendants must "master" all of God’s creations, including the fish, the birds and the other animals on the earth. This implies that the descendants of this man and woman, including us, control all of the other creatures on the earth. But we must ensure that this power is not taken for granted and that we do not destroy other living beings. As it says in Kohelet 1:4, "One generation goes, another comes, but the earth remains the same forever." However, our earth will only be able to exist if we take care of it now.

As we approach Tu B’Shvat in a couple of days, we celebrate the new fruits and flowers that have blossomed from the trees. We rejoice in these acts of nature because the growth of these fruits symbolizes life on earth in general.

It is thus our responsibility, as we learn in Bereishit and Kohelet, and we are now reminded of as we approach Tu B’Shvat, to protect the earth and all of the living creatures -- whether animals, trees, or plants -- that live on it. We must take efforts to recycle and not to litter. We must turn off lights, water and car engines when we are not using them, even during these dark and cold winter days. If we, as Jewish college students, start by engaging in these simple activities, then we will be helping, even in a small way, to take care of the earth.

[Posted 1/8/08]