Teaching #6: Noah and an Ethic of Sustainability
Although the flood and the life of Noah occurred thousands of years ago, the story of Noah offers important lessons about how our actions – both intentional and unintentional – can affect the world.
What provoked God to carry out the most serious environmental catastrophe in human history and wipe away virtually all terrestrial creatures? The Torah teaches that ten generations after Creation, all life on the planet had “corrupted its way on the earth” (Genesis 6:12). G-d gave humans 120 years to improve their ways, using Noach and his ark as messengers. Yet the people ignored the message and literally missed the boat. When we take a deeper look at Noah, seeing him through the eyes of some of the various rabbinic commentaries, we can discover a portrait of a man who spent his life innovating a lifestyle of what today would be called environmental concern. The story of the flood teaches of an important connection between human action and planetary health.
Learning Resources:
- Short Summary Article by Rabbi Yonatan Neril
- Longer Article for Deeper Study by Rabbi Yonatan Neril
- Study Guide with Hebrew-English Sources and Discussion Questions (PDF)
Additional Resources Available for Download:
Noah and an Ethic of Environmental Sustainability
This resource is part of Canfei Nesharim’s Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment, in partnership with Jewcology.com, with support from the ROI Community, a community of young Jewish innovators founded by Lynn Schusterman, and the Shedlin Outreach Foundation.
Teaching #7: Holy Use: Relating to Resources Sustainably