Judaism was the first monotheistic religion and is the oldest religion in the Western world.  Both Islam and Christianity have their roots in Judaism.  Islam, Christianity and Judaism all hold in common a belief in the Old Testament (called the Hebrew Bible) and believe in only one God.  The foundation of Judaism is to be found in the Hebrew Bible and in the Talmud that is a compilation of interpreted Biblical law written by learned rabbis and scholars.  The Talmud guides Jews in every aspect of their everyday life.  The goal of a Jew is to live an ethical life.  To be ethical in this life, a practitioner of Judaism shows a deeply held respect for the environment.

Rabbi Rosen says, "Judaism embraces the idea that we can't know what the afterlife will be.  We won't know until we get there.  Therefore, we must take care of this earth and make sure that it will all be here for future generations."  The rabbi tells a story about a seventy-year-old man who is planting a carob tree.  The tree will take seventy more years to bear fruit.  When asked why he would plant such a tree, the man explains that it is for future generations.

The following story is used to teach young Jewish hikers age seven and older as they take part in outings planned by their synagogues. 

 Rav Kook Mystery Hunt
 

Abraham Isaac Kook (1865-1935) served as the first chief rabbi of the modern Ashkenazic Jewish community in Palestine.  A deeply religious mystic who nevertheless took an active interest in human affairs, he was respected for his spiritual leadership, brilliant scholarship, and literary creativity.

One day Rav Kook was walking in the fields with a student, when the young man carelessly plucked a leaf off a branch.  Visibly shaken by this act, Rav Kook turned to his companion and said gently, "Believe me when I tell you I never simply pluck a leaf or a blade of grass or any living thing unless I have to.  Every part of the vegetable world is singing a song and breathing forth a secret of the divine mystery of creation." 

For the first time the young student understood the meaning of showing compassion to all living things.

In this activity hikers search for hidden mysteries in nature and have the opportunity to show reverence for all life.

Do you believe that the mysteries of nature are a sign of God's existence?

What did Rav Kook mean when he said:  "Every part of the vegetable world is singing a song and breathing forth a secret of the divine mystery of creation"?

Have you ever heard the song Rav Kook was talking about?  Have you heard it in your heart?

"Jews believe that the Messiah will come, but the emphasis is on now, on earth today.  The Talmud instructs that if a person is planting a tree and they hear that the Messiah has come, the person should finish planting the tree and then check on the news of the Messiah, " says Rabbi Rosen. 

She then quotes Deuteronomy 20:19 as an example of the practicality for man in taking care of nature as well as the sacredness we should place on nature:

"When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an ax against them for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man's life).

Rabbi Rosen says:  "The Rabbinic tradition of Bal Tashcit instructs Jews not to destroy anything just because you can.  Psalm 24 instructs us that everything belongs to God and we are just the caretakers.  What we have is borrowed.  We should leave the earth in better shape than when we found it.  Jews do not believe that all technology is bad.  Our responsibility is in maintaining a balance."

Synagogues encourage their members to take part in the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL).  Their Web Site states that, "Every regional affiliate serves as a vital source of community based environmental education and advocacy, involving synagogues, schools, Jewish community centers and camps, and other Jewish organizations in a wide range of environmental activities.  Hikes, "Shabbat in the woods", clean-ups, and public policy activities connect environmental interest and commitment with Jewish values and experience."  The Jewish community also takes part in interfaith environmental activities and is encouraged to take part in local, state, and federal decisions on the environment.

Judaism stands out as a religion dedicated to a healthy planet.  It is the only religion that I know of that considers Earth Day a religious holiday.  Jews believe that when God instructed man to have dominion over the earth as written in Genesis, he meant practicing stewardship toward the earth by loving and caring for it.

Rabbi Tracee Rosen is the Senior Rabbi at Congregation Kol Ami in Salt Lake City.  She was born and grew up in Denver, Colorado. After working in the banking business in Ohio for thirteen years, she moved to Los Angeles, California where she lived for seven years.  Four years of this time were spent in Rabbinical School.  Rabbi Rosen has been at Congregation Kol Ami since August of 2003, and she is "delighted to be living in this beautiful paradise."  She hopes that it will stay this way.

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