Judith Antonelli on Shemitta - "The Land's Sabbath"

In her masterpiece, In the Image of God: A Feminist Commentary on the Torah, Judith Antonelli provides an historical and cultural context for the Biblical narratives and laws, sourced in the Rabbinic textual tradition, with a pervasive concern for humanism and ecology. Declaring "Mother Nature" to be the theme of the Tora portions of Behar and Behuqothai, Antonelli describes the relationship between the seven-year cycle of land use and rest, and the seven-day cycle of human activity and rest:

When you come to the Land that I am giving you, the Land must rest in a Sabbath to Hashem. Six years you will plant your field, and six years you will prune your vineyard and gather her crops. In the seventh year there will be a Shabbat Shabbaton for the Land, a Sabbath of Hashem. (Lev. 25:2-4)

I will command My blessing to you in the sixth year, and the Land will produce crops for three years. You will plant in the eighth year but will eat from the old crops until the ninth year. (Lev. 25:21-22)

Every seventh year the Land had to have a Sabbath, just as every seventh day the Jews had to have a Sabbath. Furthermore, enough food would be produced in the sixth year to last until the ninth year, just as the double portion of manna given in the wilderness on the sixth day lasted through the Sabbath.

Just as refraining from working at our jobs on the Sabbath requires faith that God will provide enough income for us, so too the observance of Shmitah requires faith that God will provide enough food. On a purely physical level, Shmitah allows the land to regenerate itself by lying fallow for a year; on a spiritual level, Shmitah affirms that the land belongs to God and may not be subjected to unlimited human exploitation. Similarly, the Sabbath allows us to regenerate ourselves by "lying fallow" for a day, and affirms that our creative endeavors also ultimately belong to God.

That the Jews found it difficult to have such faith is indicated in Leviticus 26:34-35. Because Shmitah was not observed, the Jews were exiled. Only through desolation was the Land of Israel given the rest it needed. The seventy years off Babylonian exile are said to correspond to the seventy Sabbatical Years that the Jews neglected to observe (Rashi). The term "Shabbat Shabbaton," which is also used to describe Yom Kippur (Lev. 16:31; 23:32), implies a relationship between Shmitah and atonement.

A New Religious Ecology Curriculum for Teenagers

A local interfaith advocacy group for ecological issues has created an educational tool for teenagers to develop their thoughts about God and their own participation in the environment:

GreenFaith and The Story of Stuff Project have teamed up to create, Let There Be ... Stuff?, a six-session curriculum for teenagers that explores the relationship between their consumption, their faith, and the health of the planet. GreenFaith and The Story of Stuff Project are offering free copies of the curriculum - a $35 value - to the first 1,000 houses of worship that register. Versions are available for Jewish and Christian teenagers.

To register to receive your free copy, click here now.

The curriculum is based on The Story of Stuff, a 20-minute web film that takes viewers on a provocative and eye-opening tour of the environmental and human costs of US consumer culture - tracking where our stuff comes from and where it goes when we throw it away. Over 10 million people worldwide have viewed the film, making it one of the most widely viewed environmental-themed short films ever. In May 2009, the film was featured on the front page of the New York Times, which called it a “sleeper hit in classrooms across the country.” Read the article or watch The Story of Stuff.

'“The Story of Stuff delivers a body blow to consumerism,” said the Rev. Fletcher Harper, GreenFaith's Executive Director. “For years, we've been bombarded with the message that we find fulfillment through consuming - a fundamentally anti-religious message. This film shows why this idea flunks, and the curriculum helps teens create a positive response.” “Annie Leonard is a modern-day prophet,” said Rabbi Lawrence Troster, GreenFaith's Rabbinic scholar. “People of all faiths need to hear her message and mobilize their congregations in response.”

“The Story of Stuff Project has received thousands of messages from religious groups since we released the film, revealing a deep resonance between their values and the message of The Story of Stuff,” said Annie Leonard, Director of the Project. “This curriculum will not only help young people explore what their faith asks of them, it will help them put their beliefs into action.”

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Looking at the Sikh Environment Day as a Model for a Jewish Environment Day

The Sikh Council on Religion and Education marked March 14 as Sikh Environment Day. Plans for the day involved:

During this observance, Sikhs can focus on ecological tips and improvement, and encourage raagis, or others, to perform environmentally themed shabads – hymns from the Sikh holy scriptures. A number of shabads extol the relationship between Sikhism and the environment, and Sikhs will be able to focus on their message during this celebration.

In honour of this day, it is proposed that all communities participate in a tree planting ceremony or various other activities listed below, or further listed in the EcoSikh Guidebook. In addition, we propose that all communities participate in a local environmental clean-up.

“Each community can create their own theme or follow one suggested by the EcoSikh initiative organised through the website. We hope that this particular day will be celebrated and the entire Sikh community will do something in solidarity around the world.”

Various celebrations will take place in Punjab and in other parts of India. In North America, several gurdwaras have committed to celebrating this day as a Sikh Environment day. Several Sikh Youth organisations also planning to celebrate this occasion.

What can people do for Sikh Environment Day?

Individuals Families:

• Plant an EcoSikh garden or tree
• Visit your local parks monthly as time for spiritual reflection and renewal

Gurdwaras/Organisations:

• Ragis sing shabads with environmental themes
• Distribute tree saplings
• Organise a tree planting ceremony or plant saplings of plants in the Gurdwara complex.

Wider Community:

• Become an active part of Earth Day celebrations (April 22nd)
• Join interfaith environmental work camps and celebrations

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Leave a comment below and let us know what you think a Jewish Environment Day would look like!