Predator and Prey: A Theology

Often the basis of our theology is from text, e.g. God is merciful and compassionate, because the Torah says, “Hasem Hasem el rachim v’chanun”. Or God is good, because Descartes would not consider the possibility of a malevolent God.

I have been thinking recently of an approach based of real experiences.

In the Galapagos Islands, I witnessed a mother bird standing over her baby to protect it from the frigatebird that would otherwise swoop down and take the baby for lunch.
There was a sea lioness, injured by a shark, while she herself was out catching smaller fish to feed to her family.

We have seen videos, if not in person, of a kill; a lion chasing, attacking and consuming a zebra or leopard attacking an antelope, an anaconda consuming a sheep. The dynamic of predator and prey in their battle to the death is harsh, resulting in the survival of the fittest.

Within humans, whether it is instinct or learned, the dynamics of P&P, and its outcome of survival of the fittest, influences, war, politics, free enterprise, competitive sports, court room and board drama, crime, food and resource consumption, reality TV, and the reality human relationships at every level. "Aiver min hachai", the prohibition against ripping off and consuming the limb of a live creature is one of the 7 Noachide laws for a reason, and can be understood both literally and figuratively.

The dynamic of predator and prey and the outcome of survival of the fittest is everywhere; the more you look, the more you see it.

I would like to pose two questions:
1. What is God’s objective in choosing to hardwire into the created world the harsh principles of predator & prey and thereby, survival of the fittest.
2. What values and actions does the God of P&P expect of me, by placing me in this world?

I would like to suggest to following approach:

1. God hardwires creation with the dynamics of P&P because it is God’s primary objective to provide creation not only with the innate ability to survive and perpetuate itself, but more so, to rigorously self-develop. To innately expand in ability, capability, knowledge and intellect. This objective is accomplished through the conflict and clashes of predator and prey coupled with strong desire of each to survive. Some fall in the process, but the fittest survive and continually evolve, further developing their potential.

In humans thanks to need, greed, envy and desire, and our use of the human mind, our behavior as predators and our desire to outdo our prey AKA competition, propels, even inspires, us to develop, reveal and harness the ever mysterious and infinite frontiers of our created world.

And, therefore:

2. I believe God has given us the dynamic of P&P, and has placed us in a world where that dynamic is ubiquitous, as an imperative for us to use it to self-develop, to become our best. That even though there are many harsh even cruel consequences to P&P, it is the only way to accomplish God’s goal for us: perpetuate and develop an ever expanding and endlessly amazing universe.

One challenge to understand within the predator & prey reality is: Where does the merciful God reside? How does "hasem hasem el rachum v’chanun" come into play when God’s chosen, underlying dynamic for ongoing creative development can be harsh and cruel? What are we to say of the God who has compassion for the widow and orphan, when it is God’s rule of P&P that may likely have created their predicament? What are we to say about the humane and ethical development of humanity that may be preoccupied with developing their predetor capabilities.

This is a serious problem that one needs to resolve to construct a theology that is consistent with both our tradition and reality.

Possibly, the 13 Midos are limited expressions of God’s yearning and hope, given the constraints of God’s underlying choice to make predator and prey, and its benefits, paramount.

The same challenge needs to be explored regarding human compassion.

It is interesting to think of Purim, and its introduction to wipe out the memory of Amalek, in terms of P&P. The Torah commands regarding Amalek as follows:

The subsequent events of Purim may be an attempt to actualize that, somewhat. The megillah says as follows:

It is interesting to view these episodes as a paradigm shift in the predator prey dynamic. Not that P&P goes away, in some Messianic ideal. That would be unacceptable to the creator, who needs creative development through the tension of survival of the fittest. Rather, venahafoch hu, it becomes inverted. Prey becomes predator and predator becomes prey.

What are we to make of this?

Interestingly, when you are the predator, you are in control. On the human level, because you initiate the attack, you can choose its nature. Will it be about physical might, like war, genocide, persecution, or physical abuse? Or will it be about values like human rights, education, or expanding wisdom and scientific capabilities. A few decades ago President Johnson reframed to language of the predator in his anti-poverty initiative referring to it as the “War on Poverty”. In reframing to language of the predator, you can also reframe the definition of FITTEST such that the survivor is not necessarily the strongest and most fierce, but may be the smartest, the most passionate, the most adaptable, the most universal, the most humane, the most evolved.

Maybe the lesson of v’nahafoch, of making us the predator instead of the prey, demands of us;

1. To transform ourselves to use our power and resources with the highest values, to further the dignity of others, rather than abusing others.

2. To reframe the dynamic away from aggression and to more value based tensions and resolution.

To define fittest as the most evolved and adaptable at all levels.

Predator and Prey is a reality of God’s creation that enables the created universe to self-develop. The dynamic is needed and will not go away. Our self-definition resides in how we choose to engage that dynamic.