SPIRIT
TORAH PORTION
Pursuing Climate Justice
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story according to comhen we have mentaries that aren’t as conversations often referenced to rethink about climate our relationship to climate change, it often feels like justice work? doom and gloom. Scary 1. Jacob wrestled himfacts, worst-case scenarios Rabbi Nate self: According to Pirkei and ticking clocks. Even Degroot DeRabbi Eliezer (37), Jacob our language: “fighting” wrestled himself that night: climate change places us in Parshat an adversarial relationship. Vayishlach: “And [the angel] called [Jacob’s] name ‘Israel’ like But it doesn’t need to be Genesis this way. 32:4-36:43; his own name, for his own Obediah name was called ‘Israel.’” In this week’s portion, 1:1-21. 2. Jacob was the one to Jacob wrestles an adverengage: Based on notesary. We don’t get many worthy grammar, biblical scholar details of the match, but comAviva Zornberg argues that Jacob mentators typically see this man initially approached the angel: as a hostile angel who attacked “Perhaps, in some enigmatic Jacob unprompted. We know the sense, Jacob is the aggressor.” struggle lasted until dawn when (The Beginning of Desire, 234). the man wrenched Jacob’s hip. But what happens if we reread 3. There was embrace: There seems to be an element of four different elements of this
Lillian & Samuel
Hechtman I Apartments
embrace to this wrestling (Rashi and Ramban). Zornberg: “This is clearly a passionate experience, involving the closest confrontation (literally face-to-face) of the whole body” (ibid). 4. A blessing: Jacob refused to let the “angel” go without receiving a blessing. Regardless of the tenor of the encounter, Jacob demanded that its conclusion be blessing. I suggest we consider our approach to climate justice in this light: 1. Let us recognize that we are really wrestling with ourselves. Individually, it is upon us to make choices that we are proud of and that contribute to a healthier, more sustainable and more equitable world for all. 2. It’s up to us to engage first, to
read that article, recycle that container, call that representative. 3. Climate work must be rooted in love. We embrace nature because we’ve been nourished by nature’s embrace. Let that drive our work, even as we struggle. 4. We won’t stop until we are blessed. Despite whatever hardships and challenges, our North Star is abundant blessing for us and all of God’s creatures. Jacob is transformed by his encounter and given a new name, “Yisrael,” the one who wrestles with God, namesake of our people. In our pursuit of climate justice, may we be inspired by Yisrael, wrestling with the Divine for personal growth, taking initiative, centering embrace and stopping nothing short of blessing. In so doing, may we honor the Divine creation of which we are all part. Rabbi Nate Degroot is the Hazon Detroit associate director and spiritual and program director.
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