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Q's
& A's
What Does God have to
do with the natural environment?
God never fully relinquishes dominion over the
world. In promulgating the laws of the sabbatical
year (Leviticus 25:23), he reasserts his proprietorship
over creation, stating, “The land is mine.”
This principle of divine ownership of nature is
. . . the basis for several categories of liturgical
blessing. According to the Tosefta, “Man
may not taste anything until he has recited a
blessing, as it is written ‘The earth is
the Lord’s and the fullness thereof’
(Psalm 24:1). Anyone who derives benefit from
this world without a (prior) blessing is guilty
of misappropriating sacred property.” The
list of blessings based on this concept includes
numerous specialized and general blessings recited
on comestibles and a host of rules and regulations
regarding their application and priorities. (Jonathan
Helfand, “The Earth is the Lord’s:
Judaism and Environmental Ethics.” ) |
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