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Mountains and Fields
Sources on mountains and fields
On Creating a Personal Sabbath
How do we connect to the Sabbath? To nature? How do we find spirituality in a busy world? This discussion is being held outdoors at a Kabbalat Shabbat service for an independant minyan in Cleveland made up of young professionals.
Park Cleaning Source Sheet
The environment is both a gift and a responsibility; if we do not protect it, who will?
Reproductive Issues
Basic sources addressing reproduction and sexual morality
Responsibility to the Environment
Three sources explaining Judaism's basic connection to environmentalism.
Ten Teachings on Judaism and the Environment by Rabbi Lawrence Troster
This source sheet explores Rabbi Troster's ten teachings on Judaism and the environment and seeks to engage students in an in-depth examination of their role in the world.
The Blessing of the Rains and Water: Learning in the Sukkah
Some texts about rain and water for our text study session in the Sukkah

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Deuteronomy 11:10-11

For the land that you are entering to take possession of it is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and irrigated it, like a garden of vegetables. But the land that you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain from heaven

כִּי הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה בָא־שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ לֹא כְאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם הִוא אֲשֶׁר יְצָאתֶם מִשָּׁם אֲשֶׁר תִּזְרַע אֶת־זַרְעֲךָ וְהִשְׁקִיתָ בְרַגְלְךָ כְּגַן הַיָּרָק׃ וְהָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם עֹבְרִים שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ אֶרֶץ הָרִים וּבְקָעֹת לִמְטַר הַשָּׁמַיִם תִּשְׁתֶּה־מָּיִם׃

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Deuteronomy 11:13-21

13) And it will be, if you hearken to My commandments that I command you this day to love Adonai, your God, and to serve God with all your heart and with all your soul,
14) I will give the rain of your land at its time, the early rain and the latter rain, and you will gather in your grain, your wine, and your oil.
15) And I will give grass in your field for your livestock, and you will eat and be sated.
16) Beware, lest your heart be misled, and you turn away and worship strange gods and prostrate yourselves before them.

יג) וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל מִצְוֹתַי אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם הַיּוֹם לְאַהֲבָה אֶת ה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶם וּלְעָבְדוֹ בְּכָל לְבַבְכֶם וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁכֶם:
יד) וְנָתַתִּי מְטַר אַרְצְכֶם בְּעִתּוֹ יוֹרֶה וּמַלְקוֹשׁ וְאָסַפְתָּ דְגָנֶךָ וְתִירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ: טו) וְנָתַתִּי עֵשֶׂב בְּשָׂדְךָ לִבְהֶמְתֶּךָ וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ:
טז) הִשָּׁמְרוּ לָכֶם פֶּן יִפְתֶּה לְבַבְכֶם וְסַרְתֶּם וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶם לָהֶם:

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Deuteronomy 12:20

When Adonai, your God, expands your boundary, as God has spoken to you, and you say, "I will eat meat," because your soul desires to eat meat, you may eat meat, according to every desire of your soul. [Translation by Judaica Press, edited for gender neutrality]

כ) כִּי יַרְחִיב ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ אֶת גְּבֻלְךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָךְ וְאָמַרְתָּ אֹכְלָה בָשָׂר כִּי תְאַוֶּה נַפְשְׁךָ לֶאֱכֹל בָּשָׂר בְּכָל אַוַּת נַפְשְׁךָ תֹּאכַל בָּשָׂר:

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