Midrash on Environmental Degradation

A Pair of Modern Meshalim on Environmental Degradation by Jeffrey Spitzer

ื•ึทืชึผึดืฉึผืึธื—ึตืช ื”ึธืึธืจึถืฅ

ืจ' ืื”ืจืŸ ื•ืจ' ื’'ืคืจื™

ืืžืจ ืจ' ืื”ืจืŸ ืžืฉืœ ืœืฉืจ ื”ืคื ื™ื ืฉื‘ื™ื˜ืœ ืืช ื—ื•ืงื™ ืฉืžื™ืจืช ื”ื˜ื‘ืข.

ืœืื—ืจ ื–ืžืŸ ืืžืจ "ื”ืืจืฅ ืžืงื•ืœืงืœืช"

ื•ืื—ืจ ื›ืš ืืžืจ "ืงืœืงืœืชื ืืช ื”ืืจืฅ."

ื›ืš ืืžืจ ื”ืงื‘"ื” "ื•ึทืชึผึดืฉึผืึธื—ึตืช ื”ึธืึธืจึถืฅ"

ื•ืื—ืจ ื›ืš ืืžืจ "ื›ึผึดื™ ื”ึดืฉืึฐื—ึดื™ืช ื›ึผึธืœ ื‘ึผึธืฉื‚ึธืจ ืึถืช ื“ึผึทืจึฐื›ึผื•ึน ืขึทืœ ื”ึธืึธืจึถืฅ."

ืจ' ื’'ืคืจื™ ืืžืจ ืžืฉืœ ืœืจื‘ ืฉืืžืจ ืœืชืœืžื™ื“ื™ื•

ืชื ื• ื›ื‘ื•ื“ ืœื™ ื•ืœื‘ื™ืชื™

ื•ืืžืจ ื‘ื™ืชื™ ื‘ื™ืชืš

ืœื‘ืกื•ืฃ ื”ื‘ื™ืช ื ื”ืจืก

ื›ืš ืืžืจ ื”ืงื‘"ื” "ื•ึผืžึดืœึฐืื•ึผ ืึถืช ื”ึธืึธืจึถืฅ ื•ึฐื›ึดื‘ึฐืฉืึปื”ึธ ื•ึผืจึฐื“ื•ึผ…"

ื•ื›ืชื™ื‘ "ื•ึทื™ึผึทื ึผึดื—ึตื”ื•ึผ ื‘ึฐื’ึทืŸ ืขึตื“ึถืŸ ืœึฐืขึธื‘ึฐื“ึธื”ึผ ื•ึผืœึฐืฉืึธืžึฐืจึธื”ึผ"

ื•ืœื‘ืกื•ืฃ "ื•ึทืชึผึดืฉึผืึธื—ึตืช ื”ึธืึธืจึถืฅ"

The earth had gone to ruin.” (Gen 6:11)

R. Aharon and R. Jeffrey

Said R. Aharon: A parable to the secretary of the interior who annulled environmental regulations.

After a while, he said “The land is despoiled”

and after that, he said, “You have despoiled the land.”

Similarly, “Now the earth had gone to ruin” (Gen 6:11),

and after that, “for all flesh had ruined its way upon the earth” (Gen 6:12)

R. Jeffrey said: A parable to a rabbi who said to his students,

“Show respect to me and to my house”

and he said “Mi casa es su casa”

In the end, the house was destroyed.

Similarly, God said, “be many and fill the earth and subdue it! Have dominion” (Gen 1:28),

and it is written, “God, took the human and set him in the garden of Eden, to work it and to watch it” (2:15).

In the end, “The earth had gone to ruin.”