Our End of the Deal

By Richard S. Moline
KOACH Director

For years, there have been discussions on how one defines "Jewish arts." Is a song in Hebrew a "Jewish" song, even if the lyrics have no particular reference to anything exclusively Jewish? Is music written by a Jewish composer "Jewish music," regardless of its genre? Or might a tune that has a uniquely Jewish theme, but is written by a non-Jew to be considered? An interesting theoretical discussion to have, no doubt, but no clear answer is sure to emerge.

Similarly, we often ask in political and societal terms, what defines a "Jewish" issue? We can make a far more cogent argument that any societal issue is a Jewish issue, that any human concern is a Jewish concern. Arguably, none is more pressing than the issue of the environment and how we treat the physical world in which we live.

The heavens belong to Adonai; the earth God has entrusted to human beings, says Psalm 115. It is a partnership with clearly defined responsibilities. I’m not sure that I’m audacious enough to evaluate God’s end of the deal, especially since I hope to avoid the heavenly realm for a long, long time. However, we can all look at what we’ve done with the earth - and the report card is not a particularly good one.

Granted, there are elements of this partnership we carry out quite well. When we recite the blessing over bread, hamotzi lehem min ha’aretz (literally praising God for "bringing bread out of the earth"), we know that we’re not really acknowledging that God grows bread for us. We’re acknowledging our partnership – God gives us the ability to do what is needed to plant, harvest and grow. We’re part of this process – one might dare to say an equal part.

Yet while we know how to make this arrangement work for us, we are also taking undue advantage. And while Al Gore has brought much of this to our attention, the truth is that we’ve known this for a long time – we have simply failed to act.

So let’s get real. What can we do - not as policy makers, but as citizens of the world? If only we did the simple things, we’d be contributing a whole lot. Recycle – papers, cartridges, electronics and more. Buy recycled products. Use the other side of that sheet of paper to print something you only need temporarily. Recharge batteries. Walk, carpool, ride a bike, rollerblade or take public transportation when you can. Use energy saving, fluorescent light bulbs. Just keeping it simple will make a major difference. Working to change the culture of waste and consumption is not easy. I know I often catch myself taking the easy way out.

If we really do look at ourselves as partners with God in this world, then we have no choice. We need to confront the care of our planet and the roles we play. So is this a "Jewish" issue? I’ll let you decide. For me, it is now a Jewish imperative.

[Posted 1/8/08]