Let it rain

Bechukotai

Lev. 26:3 - 27:34

Précis: The final parasha in Vayikra begins with a statement promising blessings if the People follow Adonai’s ways. The blessings are discussed in detail. But, if the People disobey, terrible punishments will be visited upon them, and these, too, are listed in agonizing detail. The Book of Leviticus concludes (as it opened) with regulations regarding the upkeep of the Sanctuary, from voluntary tithes, land gifts, firstborn redemption, and the tithes of flocks.

Lev. 26:4-6 "I will give your rains in their time, the Land will yield its produce, and the tree of the field will give forth its fruit... you will eat your food to satiety, and you will live in security in your land, and I will grant peace in the Land."

            Jonathan Neril has written [MyJewishlearning.com (5/13/14)] that praying for rain is a part of the spiritual life of a Jew. From Shmini Atzeret through Passover, our daily liturgy includes a prayer for rain; for the other half of the year, we pray for dew. Praying for rain is not enough, however. In the cited verses, we observe that rain, so necessary for our survival, comes from God. It is only when we do God’s will that we are rewarded with rain. This has been at the core of our tradition.

            Scientifically, ​few can really doubt that human activity has interfered with the natural patterns of rainfall, be it acid rain resulting from manufacturing, or global climate change caused by the enhanced amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane since the start of the Industrial Revolution. (I admit that there are some who do doubt this; I choose to be informed by the facts, instead of by political denials.)

            With the changes in weather patterns, we observe floods in some places, the destruction of coral reefs in others, and decades-long droughts in other areas. Aquifers which provide water for human consumption and for farming are drying out at unprecedented levels. Human interference has upset the natural processes with unexpected and impossible to predict changes.

            As humans continue to urbanize and build roads and other elements of infrastructure, one of the unintended consequences is increased runoff. When there is less land and more concrete, more rain winds up back in the ocean, increasingly contaminated with the detritus of urban life.

            Kabbalists suggested that God established the laws of nature, and that when human beings violate those laws, they are punished by nature. We cannot and should not disregard the connection between our actions and what is happening in the world. We are required by God’s law to live in balance with our physical world if we are to receive the bounty we have been promised.

            Our prayers for rain are important and should lead to actions consistent with our prayers. 

We are only caretakers

B’Har

Lev. 25:1 - 26:2

Précis: The parasha begins with a description of the Sabbatical Year and the Jubilee (Yovel) Year. In the 50^th (Jubilee) Year, we are to “proclaim liberty throughout the land” and property is restored to its ancestral owners. The parasha continues with the prohibition against unlimited slavery, as well as the rules for the treatment of those who are slaves.

Leviticus, 25: 23-24 “Furthermore the land must not be sold beyond reclaim, for the land is mine, you are but resident aliens under my authority. Therefore, throughout the land you hold, you must provide redemption for the land.”

           

            This verse is a reminder that wealth ultimately comes from God; at best we are temporary caretakers. This is part of the concept of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years which are contained in this parasha.

            While our American tradition is that wealth is a sign of our individual achievement and hard work (“I made that!”), the Jewish concept stresses that we are God’s beneficiaries. The American ideal suggests that wealth is something we have earned, is ours, and we are entitled to use it as we see fit. The Jewish concept suggests that because we are not the true owners of our possessions (they are on loan from God), we are not free to use our wealth and possessions in any way we chose; our use is subject to moral and ethical demands, particularly to the less fortunate among us.

            If you believe I am suggesting that there is a conflict between the American and Jewish concept of ownership and wealth, you are correct. Since we (at least most of us reading these words) are both American and Jewish, we are required to face this difference squarely and honestly. In the context of the current political discourse, when slogans and bumper stickers take the place of thoughtful debate, I ask whether it is possible to reconcile these two points of view. Name calling (Socialist! Fascist!) does not advance the discussion in which we, as thoughtful Jewish Americans, must engage.

            If we really are trying to apply the Jewish tradition to our daily lives, and recommend these principles to others as a basis for creating a more just society, we first need to answer the question ourselves: what is the obligation of those with means to those in need? What policy ramifications does this suggest in terms of taxes and government expenditures?

            I do not offer answers here, my friends. I’m just asking questions which I wish  our current candidates would discuss with care and thoughtfulness.