Kabbalah and Ecology

Abstract

Kabbalah and Ecology is a groundbreaking book that resets the conversation about ecology and the Abrahamic traditions. David Mevorach Seidenberg challenges the anthropocentric reading of the Torah, showing that a radically different orientation to the more-than-human world of nature is not only possible, but that such an orientation also leads to a more accurate interpretation of scripture, rabbinic texts, Maimonides and Kabbalah. Deeply grounded in traditional texts and fluent with the physical sciences, this book proposes not only a new understanding of God's image but also a new direction for restoring religion to its senses and to a more alive relationship with the more-than-human, both with nature and with divinity.

‘He passed away because of cutting down a fig tree’: The similarity between people and trees in Jewish symbolism, mysticism and halakhic practice

“…Jewish sources (Bible, Talmud and rabbinic law) include a considerable number of references to ecological issues, such as environmental concerns (protecting natural vegetation from excessive grazing), organising the urban and agricultural environment as a convenient functional living space for humans, removing hazards from the urban space and others (see, e.g., Freudenstien 1970;Gerstenfeld 1998;Har Shefer 1994;Rakover 1993;Seidenberg 2015;Shemesh 2018a;Tirosh-Samuelson 2002;Zichel 1990). Ancient and later Jewish sources generally emphasised that the natural environment should not be ignored or neglected, and these sources contain a set of laws and prohibitions aimed at preserving and improving the world as the authors knew it (Har Shefer 1994:94-107).…”