Jewish Thought

Blessings and Jewish Ethics

Why don't we say a blessing before we do a good deed?

Stop the Machine! — The Sabbatical Year Principle

The biblical shemitah represents an alternative to the consumer society.

Visiting the Sick in Judaism

Aware as we may be of the importance of visiting and assisting people who are ill, we still have to overcome our fears and hesitations in order to perform this mitzvah.

Humans as Co-creators: Co-owners as Well?

A Talmudic legal parable illustrates that, although they may have improved the natural world, humans do not own it. We may transcend nature, but we are also part of it.

Nature and Holiness in the Writings of Priests and Prophets

To the Israelite prophets, humans are central to the relationship of God and the created world...

In the Theocentric Universe, Human Beings Are Not Masters

Powerful passages in the Book of Job teach that the world, and the animals in particular, must not be abused or exploited by human beings.

The Genesis Creation Story: Permission to Despoil?

A Bible scholar takes issue with those who blame the Book of Genesis for Western culture's exploitative disregard for nature.

The Natural World and our Need for Wonder

When we perceive, at rare moments, that behind the natural world is a realm of the unknown and inexplicable, we attain awareness of holiness

The Anthropological Implications of Suffering

The rabbis of the talmudic era were more interested in the human response to suffering than in finding theological justifications for its existence.

Urbanization and Land Use: A Biblical Model

The design of the Levites’ urban settlements featured open spaces and regional integration.

Humans as Guests in God’s World

A talmudic metaphor teaches that human beings are responsible for ensuring that the world achieves global environmental sustainability.

The Earth’s Reward: Enjoy Its Fruit, but Protect Its Fruitfulness

The Torah teaches us to value human life -- as part of a sustainable world.