Parashah for October 21, 2023
Torah Commentary by Bettijane Eisenpreis
“The Lord smelled the pleasing odor, and the Lord said to Himself, “Never again will I doom the earth because of man, since the devisings of man’s mind are evil from his youth; nor will I ever destroy every living being, as I have done.”
Genesis 8:21
I am beginning this commentary on October 3, 2023 in New York City. Last Friday, September 29th was one of the wettest days on record in the Metropolitan area – 8.65 inches of rain at Kennedy airport, 7.25 inches in Brooklyn, and so forth. Basements were flooded, subways inundated, even buses filled with water. The Mayor and the Governor held a joint news conference, the main theme of which was “HELP!!!!”
According to Parashat Noah, after the debacle of the flood God swore never again to destroy the earth by water. God understood that men (and women) would do bad things, but God also knew that the earth was too good and beautiful and destroying it to punish mankind would be wrong.
Has God changed God’s mind? Are we about to be destroyed by a Higher Power? Or maybe God decided He didn’t have to bother – people would destroy the earth all by themselves!
Recently, a group of young environmental activists in Montana won a ruling in court, stating that the state had an obligation to protect them from global warming. Exactly what action will be taken as a result remains to be seen, but this is the first time that a court in the United States has acknowledged that government has a duty to the next generation in regard to the environment.
A college friend living in Austin, Texas, tells me that they have had 40 days of 105 degrees or hotter this summer. She went out for breakfast and did any errands she had to do before 10 AM and then stayed in her air-conditioned apartment the rest of the day.
We are all responsible to some degree, depending on choice and opportunity. I know that I am throwing too much paper into the trash and committing all manner of other environmental damage. But our building doesn’t have composting, and I am too lazy and too old-fashioned to always do what’s best for the environment. New York had better garbage disposal years ago than it does now; it was just too expensive.
We haven’t made protecting the environment a high enough priority. God has given us a beautiful world, but we are destroying it. Oh, we lament the melting of the glaciers, the silting of the rivers, the dirty sidewalks and polluted streams, but what do we do about it?
“The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork.” We have to start NOW to preserve that handiwork and pray to Him that we are not too late!
Congregants are always welcome to send us their Torah commentary. If you would like to contribute, please contact the Communications team to learn more.
Temple members can click here for more details on weekly Torah study at Emanu-El and how to register.
Torah Commentary on Noach by Bettijane Eisenpreis
Parashah for October 21, 2023
Torah Commentary by Bettijane Eisenpreis
“The Lord smelled the pleasing odor, and the Lord said to Himself, “Never again will I doom the earth because of man, since the devisings of man’s mind are evil from his youth; nor will I ever destroy every living being, as I have done.”
Genesis 8:21
I am beginning this commentary on October 3, 2023 in New York City. Last Friday, September 29th was one of the wettest days on record in the Metropolitan area – 8.65 inches of rain at Kennedy airport, 7.25 inches in Brooklyn, and so forth. Basements were flooded, subways inundated, even buses filled with water. The Mayor and the Governor held a joint news conference, the main theme of which was “HELP!!!!”
According to Parashat Noah, after the debacle of the flood God swore never again to destroy the earth by water. God understood that men (and women) would do bad things, but God also knew that the earth was too good and beautiful and destroying it to punish mankind would be wrong.
Has God changed God’s mind? Are we about to be destroyed by a Higher Power? Or maybe God decided He didn’t have to bother – people would destroy the earth all by themselves!
Recently, a group of young environmental activists in Montana won a ruling in court, stating that the state had an obligation to protect them from global warming. Exactly what action will be taken as a result remains to be seen, but this is the first time that a court in the United States has acknowledged that government has a duty to the next generation in regard to the environment.
A college friend living in Austin, Texas, tells me that they have had 40 days of 105 degrees or hotter this summer. She went out for breakfast and did any errands she had to do before 10 AM and then stayed in her air-conditioned apartment the rest of the day.
We are all responsible to some degree, depending on choice and opportunity. I know that I am throwing too much paper into the trash and committing all manner of other environmental damage. But our building doesn’t have composting, and I am too lazy and too old-fashioned to always do what’s best for the environment. New York had better garbage disposal years ago than it does now; it was just too expensive.
We haven’t made protecting the environment a high enough priority. God has given us a beautiful world, but we are destroying it. Oh, we lament the melting of the glaciers, the silting of the rivers, the dirty sidewalks and polluted streams, but what do we do about it?
“The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork.” We have to start NOW to preserve that handiwork and pray to Him that we are not too late!
Congregants are always welcome to send us their Torah commentary. If you would like to contribute, please contact the Communications team to learn more.
Temple members can click here for more details on weekly Torah study at Emanu-El and how to register.
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