Earth Day was on par with all the major holidays for me; I thought it was my personal duty to save the earth. I was the proud, in-your-face, staunch environmentalist. As I study Torah, I've come to realize that God is also an environmentalist.
I have never thought of the Torah as a political manifesto. That is, I do not see the Torah as advancing a political system comparable to the type of systems that we see in contemporary society.
Freedom is an ideal for humanity that we constantly strive to reach.To be truly free is to possess the human power to choose to live by the rules that bind us. The rules that bind us should, at best, hold us fast to principles and ethics that lead us to our greatest human potential. In B’har, we find the famous verse, “You shall proclaim release (liberty) throughout the land for all its inhabitants” (Leviticus 25:10). For Jews, the rules that bind us are Torah.
Torah Commentary
The Holy Charge of Being Earth's Caretakers in B’har and B’chukotai
What Political System Does the Torah Favor?
I have never thought of the Torah as a political manifesto. That is, I do not see the Torah as advancing a political system comparable to the type of systems that we see in contemporary society.
Are There Limits to the Revelation Received at Sinai?
Finding the Richness and the Glory in God’s Ways
Freedom is an ideal for humanity that we constantly strive to reach.To be truly free is to possess the human power to choose to live by the rules that bind us. The rules that bind us should, at best, hold us fast to principles and ethics that lead us to our greatest human potential. In B’har, we find the famous verse, “You shall proclaim release (liberty) throughout the land for all its inhabitants” (Leviticus 25:10). For Jews, the rules that bind us are Torah.
B’har (and B'chukotai) for Teens: Shabbat Sha-raps
In this parasha, God instructs the people on how to take care of the land, such as leaving the 7th year for rest. Listen to find out some more rules!