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Shabbat (Haaretz) Shalom
Renewed themes in the commandment of the shmita, in light of the climate crisis This year 5782 is a shmita year - a special period in the Hebrew calendar that recurs once every seven years. This year we face a harsh reality - the IPPC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report published in early August claims that the climate crisis is already here and directly linked to humanity’s treatment of our natural resources. In recent months, ...
EMBRACING THE WORLD IN OUR ARMS – Martin Buber’s dialogical and spiritual perceptions as a basis for commitment to the environment
we face a new geological and evolutionary doorway - where humanity is the main force shaping the atmosphere and consequently the geology of the earth (for example: depletion of natural resources and climate change leading to extreme weather patterns). In this age, where man is perceived as a real "force of nature", Buber's belief that we, as Jews, are forbidden to 'leave the world to its own devices' and his call to embrace the world in our arms as much as we can, seem more relevant than ever. Moreover, Buber urges us not to separate religion from politics, or our perception of the essence of the world and our role in it, from its actual realization.
“I will command my blessing on you in the sixth year” – The sixth year before the shmita is the time to develop social resilience
In the "Behar" Torah portion, God commands the people of Israel to observe the shmita - by stopping the cycle of agricultural activity (which most people rely on for sustenance) once every seven years and make due with things that grow on their own. The following verses address a question that may arise: "But you might ask, ‘What will we eat during the seventh year, since we are not allowed to plant or harvest crops that year?’" (Leviticus ...
It’s time to go hug a tree!
The month of Nisan has arrived - it's time to go hug a tree! The month of Nisan began the evening of April 1, in the midst of the welcoming blossoms of springtime in Israel. This month also comes in the midst of the "Coronavirus crisis," as we are asked to shut ourselves in our homes instead of going outside and enjoying all that beauty of nature. Birkat Ha'Ilanot (Blessing for the Blossoming Trees), the mitzvah that is observed during the days of ...
“The King in the Field”
~ Where spirit, nature and people meet An old-new Jewish movement overseas About three months ago I was privileged to participate in a formative event arranged by the JOFEE network (Jewish Outdoor, Food and Environmental Education), which took place in a convention center out in nature in the heart of the U.S. For three days we pored over texts describing events that have shaped us as a people, from the well-known "Lech Lecha" until today; we got ...
The spirit of Hakhel gives hope for unity
On Chol Hamoed Sukkot, we held the closing events of the Israeli Shmita Initiative. We carried our Hakhel Treaty on a three-day journey of events, from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem: collecting the lessons of the Shmita year and calling for the renewal of the covenant between all sectors of Israeli society. Whenever we stopped, we participated in mass events, with a clear message of unity and connection in the spirit of Hakhel. The journey began at the port ...
“So come do Shabbat (of the land) with us” – Did we accept the invitation?
Local Shmita From the start of the Shmita year I made it my habit to spend a few days in one place or another with our “Shmita tent” – a broad, welcoming space offering people “time out” for relaxation, eating “the fruit of the land,” swapping books (we travel with a library from which people may take books), and listening and talking about our social dreams, especially those relating to the Shmita values. Many people came into the tent ...
Do we choose well? My personal campaign
I do not know exactly when my inner emotional life first became coupled with our national situation. It certainly wasn’t as a child or teenager – when I was completely self-centered around my personal life experiences. Later, as a bleary-eyed young mother I had begun speaking about the “situation,” but with the kind of emotional detachment of someone who has too little time and is overloaded building home and career. But somehow and at some time ...
