This material was prepared by Rabbi Yonatan Neril and Evonne Marzouk of Canfei Nesharim, as part of the Jewcology project.
This source sheet was created in collaboration with Canfei Nesharim, Jewcology, Jewish Nature and the ROI Community.
The Sefaria Source Sheet was collated and edited by Rachel Kelman, a 2022 summer inchworm.
Outline of Contents:
I. Genesis 1:26:
II. Genesis 1 :28:
III. Genesis 2:15:
IV. Other Relevant Sources:
I. Genesis Chapter 1, Verse 26
(יב) וּרְדוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם (בראשית א, כח), אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא, אִם זָכָה רְדוּ, וְאִם לָאו יֵרְדוּ. אָמַר רַבִּי יַעֲקֹב דִּכְפַר חָנִין, אֶת שֶׁהוּא בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ, וּרְדוּ. אֶת שֶׁאֵינוֹ בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ, יֵרְדוּ. רַבִּי יַעֲקֹב דְּמִן כְּפַר חָנָן אָמַר, יָבוֹא צַלְמֵנוּ וּדְמוּתֵנוּ, וְיִרְדֶּה לְשֶׁאֵינוֹ דּוֹמֶה לְצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ....
translation by Rabbi Yonatan Neril, adapted in part from that of Isaac Levy to Rabbi Samphson Raphael Hirsch, The Pentateuch to Genesis 1:26 (citation below) and Soncino Midrash Rabbah.
and they shall rule over the fish of the sea: Rabbi Chanina said, “if he merits it then [G-d says] have dominion, while if he does not merit, then [G-d says] he will be taken down.”1 Rabbi Yaakov of Kfar Chanin said, "If he [the human acts] in Our image and likeness [then] 'he will rule,' if he [acts] not in Our image and likeness, then 'and he will be taken down.' Rabbi Yaakov of Kfar Chanin said [further]: “the [righteous person] who is in Our image and likeness will come, and rule over [wicked people and animals] who are not in Our image and
likeness.”2
רש"ר הירש בראשית פרשת בראשית פרק א
(כו) כל שאר הברואים נזכרו רק בעת בריאתם, ואילו האדם נזכר עוד בטרם נברא. כביכול, הבריאה עומדת על עמדה; והבורא מודיע לעולם - על רצונו לברוא "אדם". הן "אדם" זה ישלוט בעולם כשליט וכמנהיג מאת ה'.
Rabbi Samphson Raphael Hirsch, The Pentateuch. Vol.1. Genesis, Judaica Press, 1959, translated by Isaac
Levy. Commentary to Genesis 1:26
“All other creatures are introduced only with their creation, at Man creation halts to proclaim to the world which is already created the intention to make a Man , an Adam. For this Adam is to enter the created world as appointed by G-d to be its ruler and master.”
רש"ר הירש בראשית פרשת בראשית פרק א פסוק כו
ואכן, זה מעמדו של אדם ביחס לבעלי החיים: תפקידו איננו להכניע כלה את כולם. אולי יש בחינות לארץ וליצוריה, המופקעות מתחום שלטוננו; מבחינות אלה הרי הם תכלית לעצמם. אך תפקידו של אדם לרדות "בם" - לא "אותם"; עליו להפעיל את שלטונו בכל בעלי החיים, בהם ובארץ עצמה; בבואו לקיים את תפקידו כאדם ישלול מהם מקצת מחירותם ויביאם לידו חלקית. אם ישלוט ביצורים כ"אדם" - בצלם א-להים ובדמותו - ברצון יקבלו את עול שלטונו; שלטונו איננו שעבוד והשפלה, אלא עילוי להם ושיתופם בחירות האלהית.
העולם כולו ייכנע ברצון לאדם הטהור העובד את בוראו. אך אם ינצל האדם את מעמדו לרעה, ולא ישלוט ביצורים כ"אדם" - כנציג ובא כח לא-ל -, אלא בכחו ובעוצם ידו, לא ברצון ייכנעו לו בעלי החיים. וכך הורו חכמינו: "את שהוא בצלמנו כדמותנו וירדו, את שאינו
בצלמנו כדמותנו וירדו; זכו וירדו, לא זכו וירדו" )בראשית רבה ח, יב(. ואכן, לא הרי "רדה" כהרי "כבש". "רדה" מציין רק את יחס השליט לעמו, שאף הוא איננו אלא יחס שעל תנאי.
Rabbi Samphson Rafael Hirsch, The Pentateuch. Vol.1. Genesis, Judaica Press, 1959, adapted from the translation of Isaac Levy. Commentary to Genesis 1:26
This is the position the human being is to have towards all other living creatures on earth. He has not been given the mission to make them all, and indeed not entirely, subservient to him. The earth and its creatures may have other relationships, of which we are ignorant, in which they serve their own purpose. But the human being has been given the position 'lirdot bam' [to rule over them], not 'otam,' [to rule them] to exercise its mastery over living creatures, and on the earth itself, to bring some of them out of their free independence under its hand for the fulfillment of its human calling. If the human being approaches the world as 'Adam,' in the image and likeness of God, and demands its service only in the service of God, then the earth gladly renders it, gladly recognizes the human being as its ruler; its mastery is no enslavement or degradation, but rather a raising and elevation of all earthly material elements into the sphere of free-willed moral God-serving purposes. The whole world bows willingly to the pure God-serving Human. But if the human being misuses its position, if it does not approach the world as Adam, as the representative of God, but in its own power of mastery, then animals too, do not willingly bow their neck to the human. [The Midrash teaches:] "If he [the human acts] in Our image and likeness [then] 'he will rule,' if he [acts] not in Our image and likeness, then 'and he will be taken down;' if he merits then he will rule, if he does not merit then he will be taken down--so our Sages teach.
הרב אברהם יצחק קוק, "חזון הצמחונות והשלום", פרק ב', מקובץ הזיכרון "לחי ראי, "בהוצאת ישיבת מרכז הרב, ירושלים תשכ"א
אין ספק לכל איש משכיל והוגה דעות, שהרדיה האמורה בתורה "וירדו בדגת הים ובעוף השמים ובבהמה ובכל הארץ ובכל הרמש הרומש על הארץ" (בראשית א) איננה מכוונת לרדיה של מושל עריץ המתעמר בעמו ועבדיו רק להפיק חפצו הפרטי ושרירות לבו; חלילה לחק עבדות מכוער כזה שיהיה חתום בחותם נצחי בעולמו של ד', הטוב לכל ורחמיו על כל מעשיו, שאמר "עולם חסד יבנה" (תהלים פט)
Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Kook- "A Vision of Vegetarianism and Peace," chapter 2, edited by Rabbi David Cohen, translation by Rabbi David Sears in The Vision of Eden p. 339
No intelligent, thinking person could suppose that when the Torah instructs humankind to dominate – "And have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves upon the Earth" (Genesis 1:28) – it means the domination of a harsh ruler, who afflicts his people and servants merely to fulfill his personal whim and desire, according to the crookedness of his heart. It is unthinkable that the Torah would impose such a decree of servitude, sealed for all eternity, upon the world of God, Who is "good to all, and His mercy is upon all His works" (Psalms 145:9), and Who declared, "The world shall be built upon kindness" (ibid. 89:3).
Discussion Questions:
- How do the commentators understand humanity’s “rulership” over animals, birds, and fish?
- What do you think inspired the commentators to interpret this verse in this way?
- What type of relationship between humanity and other creatures does this reflect?
II. Genesis Chapter One, Verse 28
(א)...הוכרח לומר בסמוך למה שאמר ורדו הנה נתתי לכם שלפי שאמר ורדו יראה שיוכל האדם לאכול מהם לזה אמר שעם היות שירדה בהם לא הורשה לאכול מהם אלא כל עשב זורע זרע וכל פרי העץ...
translation by Rabbi Neril based on translation of verses from Judaica Press
“Following [G-d] saying ‘and rule over [the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the sky and over all the animals that tread upon the earth (verse 28)],’ [G-d] needed to say ‘Behold, I have given you [every seed bearing
herb...and every tree that has seed bearing fruit; it will be yours for food (verse 29)].’ Since [G-d] said ‘rule over [the fish, fowl, and animals],’ it would seem that people would be permitted to eat them. To this [G-d] said, even though you will rule over them, you are not permitted to eat them. Rather, ‘every seed bearing herb...and every tree that has seed bearing fruit, [it will be yours for food].’
רש"ר הירש בראשית פרשת בראשית פרק א פסוק כח
כבשה: הרכוש, (ראה פי' לפסוק כו): האדם נצטווה לכבוש ולהכניע את הארץ; עליו לרכוש את מוצריה ולשנות את טיבם, למען יכשרו למטרותיו. הקניין והרכוש הם תנאי קודם לתפקיד הבית והחברה. הרכוש ישמש להם מכשיר, בו ישיגו את מטרותיהם; וכך הופך גם
הרכוש לחובה מוסרית. אולם, מצות "וכבשוה" כתובה כאן לאחרונה; והרי מכאן הגבלה: אין ערך מוסרי לרכוש, אלא אם כן הוא קודש לבית ולחברה, חובה על האדם לרכוש נכסים כדי לבנות בית ולקדם את החברה; ואל יבנה בית ויתמוך בחברה - כדי להרבות נכסים ועושר.
Rabbi Samphson Rafael Hirsch, The Pentateuch. Vol.1. Genesis, Judaica Press, 1959, translated by Isaac Levy. Commentary to Genesis 1:28
'Kivshuha’ [conquer the earth] is [refers to] property: the mastering, appropriating and transforming the earth and its products for human purposes. This acquirement of property is a preliminary necessity for the preceding tasks of home and society which require it as the means for accomplishing them. This makes the acquisition of property itself into a moral duty. But as this preliminary duty is mentioned last, it gives it its limitation, as having a moral meaning and importance only if it is devoted to the preceding purposes; only if fortune is sought and acquired to found family and further the needs of social work. But not if the order is reversed and one looks on marriage and society as merely the means to acquire property and riches.
Discussion questions:
- Early environmentalists considered the biblical instruction to “fill the earth and subdue it” as a key piece of today’s environmental problem. Do you think this was a fair judgment?
- How would you interpret “kivshuha” today?
III. Genesis 2:15
(ב) וטעם לעבדה להשקות הגן ולשמרה מכל החיות שלא יכנסו שם ויטנפוהו...
(2) To till it (le-ovdah) therefore refers to the garden of whose fruit he ate. It was only after he sinned that he had to eat the grass of the ground, i.e., bread. To till it means to water it. To keep it means to guard the garden so that no animals enter therein and befoul it...
(א)...מה טעם "וַיַּנִּחֵהוּ בְגַן עֵדֶן לְעָבְדָהּ וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ" (בראשית ב׳:ט״ו) שהניחו שם להיות זורע לו חטים ומיני תבואות וכל עשב זורע זרע וערוגות הבשמים וקוצר ותולש ואוכל כרצונו וזה טעם "לְעָבְדָהּ וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ" לעבוד אדמת הגן הערוגות שיעשה שם כי הגן שהם האילנות לא יעבדו...
(1)...If so, what then is the meaning of the verse: And He put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and to keep it? He put him [man] there so that he should sow for himself wheat and all kinds of produce, and every herb bearing seed, and rows of spices, reaping and plucking and eating at his will. This also is the meaning of to cultivate it and to keep it — to cultivate the ground of the garden by the rows he [man] would make there, for the part of the garden where the trees were was not to be cultivated....
(א) לעבדה להשקותה.
(ב) ולשמרה שלא ירמסוה רגלי בהמה וחיה שעדיין לא היו שם להט חרב והכרובים...
(1) לעבדה, “to irrigate it;”
(2) ולשמרה, “and to protect it against animals that would trample it.” The Torah speaks of a period prior to when the angels with drawn swords would prevent entry into Gan Eden...
The reason that G-d had withheld from him the fruit of the עץ הדעת, was to spare him the mental and physical tension which he would experience once he experienced lust, greed, etc., all phenomena which are part and parcel of a true freedom of choice, בחירה. At that point, prior to Adam experiencing the need to eat from the tree of life, G-d had not had any reason to deny that tree to him as he was not going to die even if he did not eat from that tree.
Once he had sinned, the fact that he had eaten from the forbidden fruit caused him to become far more preoccupied with concerns of the body at the expense of his pursuit of spiritual values. In short, he experienced the same limitations and handicaps when pursuing spiritual pursuits which we are familiar with nowadays. Seeing that he had reversed the order of priorities G-d had assigned to him as his purpose in life, G-d now reversed the order of what He had ordained for him so that his lifespan was reduced and the angel of death attained authority over him. (2) You should know that in the future, after the resurrection of people who deserve to be resurrected, these people will once again experience the idyllic conditions which prevailed in Gan Eden. At that time man will once again be occupied primarily with spiritual pursuits and will devote only relatively little energy to matters pertaining to his body. At that time man will resume either very long life, or never-ending life, as the universe will then revert to its original state of perfection.
The words לעבדה ולשמרה, “to work it and to preserve it,” refer to the soil of the garden. [The word אדמה, soil is feminine, hence the feminine endings in לעבדה ולשמרה .] (3) Viewed from an homiletical point of view, you might well ask what possible “work” there was in such a perfect garden in which all the trees had already grown and produced fruit without any input by man? Moreover, G-d had even provided irrigation by means of rivers so that man certainly did not have to perform any “labour,” something always associated with the word לעבד? We therefore need to understand the word לעבדה as a reference to Torah study and the word לשמרה as a reference to observance of the Torah’s commandments. This is why such observance is referred to in Genesis 3,24 as לשמור את דרך עץ החיים, “to guard the path of the tree of life.” We have other verses in Scripture which refer to Torah and the observance of its statutes as the “tree of life,” such as Proverbs 3,18 עץ חיים היא למחזיקים בה, “she is a tree of life for those who take hold of it.”
Another Midrashic explanation sees in the words לעבדה ולשמרה, a reference to the Sabbath, seeing that the Torah described the six weekdays as days on which we are to work; (compare Exodus 20,9 ששת ימים תעבד, “for six days you will work, etc.”).
Still another Midrashic explanation sees in the words of our verse a reference to the sacrifices The word לעבדה paraphrases Exodus 3,12 תעבדון את האלוקים על ההר הזה, “you will offer sacrifices to G-d on this Mountain.” The word ולשמרה is also a reference to certain sacrificial rituals as it paraphrases Numbers 28,2 תשמרו להקריב לי במועדו, “you will guard it to sacrifice for Me at its appointed season.” (4) A kabbalistic approach to our verse: We need to understand why the Torah used the letter ה each time at the end of these words. The normal grammar would have required the letter ו each time, i.e. לעבדו ולשמרו, seeing the words refer to the garden which is masculine in Hebrew. Actually, both the letters ה in this instance are an allusion to the two letters ה which are part of the four-lettered ineffable name of Gd. Concerning such considerations, the Torah wrote in Exodus 23,21 השמר מפניו, “take heed on account of the letters ו which have been replaced by he letters ה. The intelligent reader will understand to what I refer. [according to תורת חיים, the word in Exodus should be read מפני-ו, “on account of the ו.]
רש"ר הירש בראשית פרשת בראשית פרק ב פסוק כח
ובלאו הכי: ה"עבודה" וה"שמירה" האמורות כאן אינן מתייחסות רק לעבודות הקרקע; אלא הן כוללות את כל התנהגותו המוסרית של האדם, במעשהו ובמחדלו. וכבר רמזנו על כך לעיל: מעשהו המוסרי של האדם, המנצל בנאמנות את מתנות הטבע - יקדם גם את הטבע לקראת ייעודו, ובו תלוי המשך שגשוגו: "לעבדה ולשמרה". וגם חז"ל מייחסים את "לעבדה ולשמרה" לתורה ולמצוות, הוה אומר: לכלל ייעוד האדם (עי' בראשית רבה טז, ח).
Rabbi Samphson Rafael Hirsch, The Pentateuch. Vol.1. Genesis, Judaica Press, 1959, adapted from the translation of Isaac Levy. Commentary to Genesis 2:15, p. 60-61
“The terms avoda and shmira include not only the direct work and care of the ground, but also the whole moral behaviour of Man in acting and refraining from acting in accordance with his duty. Indeed,.. Nature itself finds its appointed purpose promoted, as well as the necessary condition for its continuance, in Man’s conscientious dutiful use of the bounties of nature, as expressed by avoda and shmira. Our sages refer this conception here, to Tora and Mitzvot, accordingly to the general mission of mankind.”
Rabbi Samphson Rafael Hirsch, Ben Uziel 44
The human position is “neither as god nor as slave...in the midst of the creatures of the earth-world; but as brother, as co-working brother...[Though people have] the rank of first-born among his brother beings, because of the peculiar nature and extent of his service, [we need to administer the] whole Divine estate [and] provide and care for all therein according to the will of God.”
Rabbi Norman Lamm, “Ecology in Jewish Law and Theology.” In Torah of the Earth p. 126
Man is not only an oved, a worker and fabricator, he is also a shomer, a trustee who, according to the Halakha, is obligated to keep the world whole for its true Owner, and is responsible to return it in no worse condition than he found it.
Discussion Questions:
- What is the rabbinical understanding of “l’ovdah uleshomra” (to work it and to guard it)?
- Do you think that applying this to a modern environmental understanding is appropriate?
- If so, how can this responsibility be applied today?
IV. Other Relevant Sources
(א) בֶּן זוֹמָא אוֹמֵר... אֵיזֶהוּ גִבּוֹר, הַכּוֹבֵשׁ אֶת יִצְרוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי טז) טוֹב אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם מִגִּבּוֹר וּמשֵׁל בְּרוּחוֹ מִלֹּכֵד עִיר...
(1) Ben Zoma said...Who is mighty? He who subdues his [evil] inclination, as it is said: “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that rules his spirit than he that takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32)...
(1) For the leader; on the gittith.-a A psalm of David. (2) O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name throughout the earth, You who have covered the heavens with Your splendor! (3) From the mouths of infants and sucklings You have founded strength on account of Your foes, to put an end to enemy and avenger.-a (4) When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars that You set in place, (5) what is man that You have been mindful of him, mortal man that You have taken note of him, (6) that You have made him little less than divine, and adorned him with glory and majesty; (7) You have made him master over Your handiwork, laying the world at his feet, (8) sheep and oxen, all of them, and wild beasts, too; (9) the birds of the heavens, the fish of the sea, whatever travels the paths of the seas. (10) O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name throughout the earth!
but the earth He gave over to man.
(א) לְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמ֥וֹר לַֽ֭יהֹוָה הָאָ֣רֶץ וּמְלוֹאָ֑הּ תֵּ֝בֵ֗ל וְיֹ֣שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃
(1) Of David. A psalm. The earth is the LORD’s and all that it holds, the world and its inhabitants.
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, The Nineteen Letters of Ben Uziel, p. 30.
Shabbat was given to humanity “in order that he should not grow arrogant in his dominion” of God’s creation. On the Day of Rest, “he must, as it were, return the borrowed world to its Divine Owner in order to realize that it is but lent to him.”
Discussion questions:
- What can we learn from these sources about the human relationship with the created world?
- What limits are placed on our use of the resources of this world?
- How do these sources illuminate the meaning of the verses in Genesis?
This material was prepared by Rabbi Yonatan Neril and Evonne Marzouk of Canfei Nesharim, as part of the Jewcology project. Jewcology.com is a new web portal for the global Jewish environmental community. Source sheets developed as part of the Jewcology project are sponsored by Teva Ivri. Thanks to the ROI community for their generous support, which made the Jewcology project possible.
Endnotes
- Or, let others (the animals) rule over him (footnote of Soncino translation).
- The translation of the last sentence is based on the commentary to the Midrash of R’ Naftali Katz Berman Ashkenazi (Matnot Kehuna) and Rabbi Zev Wolf Einhorn (Perush Maharzav).