Temple Emanu-El of Bayonne, NJ

“A little child will Lead them”

Isaiah 11:6

By Rabbi Shaul Marshall Praver

We start learning in Genesis how to properly relate to the earth. “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” (2:5) This verse commands us to be guardians and protectors of the earth. Humanity was also given permission to make use of the earth’s riches for our own benefit. “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (1:28) This command signals God’s permission for humankind to utilize the earth’s resources for its advancement and wellbeing. But, it does not grant us license for abusive exploitation of the earth without measure or regard for the earth’s own ecological wellbeing and the wellbeing of future generations. As guardians of the earth, humanity is biblically mandated to strike a balance between utilizing the earth’s resources for its own advancement and preserving the health of the planet. Prophet Isaiah holds us to this standard declaring that “the earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it.” (24-1) Isaiah reminds us that we have been given permission to subdue the earth for our own benefit, but this permission is contingent upon our fulfilling our responsibility as the earth’s guardians. If we fail to uphold our responsibilities, God takes the earth back from us and removes our agency to subdue it any further. If an environmental calamity were to occur on a planetary scale,humanity would finally understand, but then it might be too late for us. But must we wait until it’s too late? Fortunately Isaiah has confidence in humanity to eventually make the right decision before it’s too late.

The earth is a blue luminous lively planet pulsating with an an electromagnetic shield surrounded by a protective Ozone layer that shields all life from harsh ultraviolet light rays. In stark contrast, nearby planets including Mars and Neptune for example, appear to be either scorched or disorganized clusters of swirling gases, respectively.

Recently William Shatner, “Captain Kirk” from Star Trek returned from an actual voyage outside the earth’s atmosphere and gravitational field. One might have expected him to wax poetic about how deeply he was moved by the majestic beauty of the universe. But surprisingly, he returned shaken to the core with tears streaming down his face. “I saw a cold, dark, black emptiness. It was unlike any blackness you can see or feel on Earth. It was deep, enveloping, all-encompassing. I turned back toward the light of home. I could see the curvature of Earth, the beige of the desert, the white of the clouds and the blue of the sky. It was life. Nurturing, sustaining, life. Mother Earth. Gaia. And I was leaving her,” he lamented.

His reaction as a man seemed quit opposite from his character Captain Kirk and the star fleet enterprise whose constant motto was. “to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.” Shatner was fixated on the expanding darkness and vacuum of life that sits between us and these new civilizations. The only planet that is absolutely certain for us is planet earth. But we have been failing our responsibility to be guardians of the earth. Pollution, global warming, deforestation, and rapid extinctions of species of animals, fish and flora is pervasive.

Among the prophets that came after Moses, Isaiah makes perhaps the strongest case for the earth as a living ecosystem with rights. He forecasts the consequences of failing our responsibilities. “The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers; the heavens languish together with the earth. The earth lies polluted under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant” (24:4-5). Fortunately however, Isaiah is not saying this state of destruction is inevitable or predetermined. He illustrates and inspires us with a vision of how beautiful the planet could be. “I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water” (41:18). “For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands” (55:12). “The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.” (11:6). Such a magnificent image of a restored vivacious earth and humanities return to innocence. These verses demonstrate the blessings there ours tonenjoy if we care for the earth and the pain and suffering we will endure if we don’t.

I believe the earth recently taught us us something very important. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, when countries around the world went into lockdown, a remarkable thing occurred in the Adriatic Sea. The waters that flowed into Italy and Venice were restored to their luminous blue color, and an abundance of marine life quickly returned. Schools of fish, dolphins, and other sea creatures could be seen swimming in the lush blue waters, undisturbed by human activity. It occurred in many points around the globe. This sudden return of life to the sea was a striking demonstration of the resilience of the planet to restore balance when given even the slimmest opportunity. The take away is this: The ecologic state of the planet is in danger, but it is not hopeless. So long as we internalize some of these core lessons and put them into practice, we can turn it around. Isaiah assures us that “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (11:9). We have the intelligence, technology and a strong incentive to cooperate with one another on a global scale. Each of us as guardians of the earth can heed Isaiah’s message. We can help and join friends, communities, nations and the entire planet to help. The earth, sea and sky that once teamed with life can be restored. There are examples of countries such as Costa Rica and Israel who have protected and restored their natural habitats. It can be done. Isaiah’s numerous expressions on behalf of the earth, make him a strong advocate of the earth and he awakens in us the desire to do it as a planet.

Ecology is a spiritual value that transcends politics. Earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, floods and scorched deserts affect people of every kind and every place. We will either pull apart and destroy ourselves, or pull together and restore the pristine beauty that both Shatner and Isaiah admired. It’s easier than we think—-even a little child could lead us.