18. The Glory in Creation: Valuing Biodiversity

(1) AND G-D SAW THE LIGHT, THAT IT WAS GOOD.

...And the permanence of things called forth into existence is called re’iyah (seeing)... The purport of the word “seeing” is thus to indicate that their continuing existence is at His Will, and if that Will should for a second depart from them, they will turn into nought. Now just as Scripture says in connection with the work of each day, And G-d saw that it was good and on the sixth day when everything was completed it says, And G-d saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good, so does it say on the first day when light came into existence, And G-d saw … that it was good, meaning He desired its existence forever...

(1) AND G-D SAID: ‘LET THE EARTH PUT FORTH GRASS.’ He decreed that there be among the products of the earth a force which grows and bears seed so that the species should exist forever...

(1) AND, BEHOLD, IT WAS VERY GOOD. This signifies their permanent existence, as I have explained...

Soncino Translation
Our Rabbis explain the text, ’And the superfluities of the earth’ (Eccl. 5:8) as signifying that even things which seem to you superfluous in the world, such as flies, fleas, and gnats, are also included in the scheme of the creation of the world; as it is written, “And the heaven and the earth were finished, and all the host of them” (Gen. 2:1).

The Holy One, Blessed be He, sits and sustains everything from the horns of wild oxen to the eggs of lice? Apparently, lice reproduce by laying eggs.

Soncino translation
Our Rabbis said: Even those things which you may regard as completely superfluous to the creation of the world, such as fleas, gnats, and flies, even they too are included in the creation of the world, and the Holy One,
blessed be He, carries out His purpose through everything, even through a snake, a scorpion, a gnat, or a frog. R. Aha related this story: A man was standing by the bank of a river when he saw a frog bearing a scorpion and carrying it across the river; as soon as it had carried out its commission, it carried it back to its place.

translation by R' Neril
Included in His creation: there is a need for them, and they too are essential in creation.

translation adapted from that by Rabbi David Sears
“And the superiority (yitron) of earth [is in everything]...” (Ecclesiastes 5:8). The rabbis said [and rendered the word yitron interpretively]: Even creatures you see on the Earth [that seem superfluous (meyutarin)]¹ , such as flies, gnats, and mosquitoes, they, too, are part of G-d's creation, as it is written, “And [G-d] finished the heavens and the earth and all the legions [works].”

translation adapted from Soncino translation
“And the superiority (yitron) of earth is in everything...” (Ecclesiastes 5:8)... Rabbi Judah said: Even things that seem to you superfluities in the world are also included among the things that are a benefit to the world; bast is for making ropes, twigs are for hedging gardens.

On the subject of sores, the Gemara cites a statement referring to one of the methods for healing a sore. Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: Everything that the Holy One, Blessed be He, created in His world, He did not create anything for naught. He created a snail as a remedy for a sore; He created a fly to be crushed and spread as a remedy on a wasp sting; He created a mosquito as a remedy for a snake bite; and He created the snake itself as a remedy for a skin rash; and He created a gecko as a remedy for a scorpion bite.

With regard to the verse: “And he sent forth the raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from the earth” (Genesis 8:7), Reish Lakish says: The raven provided a convincing response to Noah; when it did not wish to leave the ark the raven said to him: Your Master, God, hates me, and you hate me. Your Master hates me, as He commanded to take from the kosher species seven and from the non-kosher species two². And you hate me, as you disregard those from the species of seven, i.e., the kosher birds, and instead dispatch one from the species of two, i.e., the non-kosher birds. If the angel of heat or the angel of cold harms me and kills me, will the world not be lacking one species of creature, as there was only one pair of ravens?

Judaica Classics Library translation
“ 'And it went forth to and fro' R. Judan said in the name of R. Judah b. R. Simon: It began arguing with him [with Noah]: ' Of all the birds that you have here you send none but me!’ ‘What need then has the world of you? ' he [Noah] retorted; ' for food? for a sacrifice?’ R. Berekiah said in R. Abba's name: The Holy One, blessed be
He, said to him [Noah]: ‘Take it back, because the world will need it in the future.’ ' When? ' he asked. ’ When the waters dry off from on the earth ' (ib.). He replied: ‘A righteous man will arise and dry up the world, and l will cause him to have need of them [the ravens],’ as it is written, And the ravens (‘orbim) brought him bread and flesh, etc. (I Kings XVII, 6).

(1) YE SHALL KEEP ‘CHUKOTHAI’ (MY STATUTES).
Now the reason for [the prohibitions against] kilayim [“mixed kinds,” as will be explained further on], is that G-d has created in the world various species among all living things, both plants and moving creatures, and He gave them a power of reproduction enabling them to exist forever as long, as He blessed be He, will desire the existence of the world, and He further endowed them with a power to bring forth [only] after their kind, and that they should never be changed, as it is said with reference to all of them [at the time of Creation], after its kind. This driving force in the normal mating of animals is for the sake of preserving the species, even as human beings engage in sexual activity for the sake of having children. Thus one who combines two different species, thereby changes and defies the work of Creation, as if he is thinking that the Holy One, blessed be He, has not completely perfected the world and he desires to help along in the creation of the world by adding to it new kinds of creatures...

(1) IF A BIRD’S NEST CHANCE TO BE BEFORE THEE. This also is an explanatory commandment, of the prohibition ye shall not kill it [the dam] and its young both in one day, because the reason for both [commandments] is that we should not have a cruel heart and be discompassionate, or it may be that Scripture does not permit us to destroy a species altogether, although it permits slaughter [for food] within that group. Now, he who kills the dam and the young in one day or takes them when they are free to fly [it is regarded] as though he cut off that species....

translation by R' Neril
Behold, the Torah's further intention in this is to prevent the possibility of untimely destruction and rather to encourage creation to exist as fully as possible, since one enables existence to reproduce by having children,
like a tree which produces fruit. And the Holy One, Blessed be He, commanded that one should not destroy that which reproduces and makes offspring. But, just as cutting fruit is permitted yet cutting the [fruit] tree is forbidden, as is stated (Deut. 20:19) “ for from it you will eat, and you shall not cut it down,” so too G-d
commanded that we take the offspring, which are the fruit, if the mother bird is hovering over them, and that we not destroy the [fruit] tree in war. Rather, we should send away the mother bird in order that we will have food from the offspring or chicks, and the mother bird will produce other offspring and existence and goodness will
persist... And for this was the end of the verses, 'in order that it will be good for you and you will live long,' which means, that this commandment was not for the benefit of animals, but rather in order that it will be good for people when existence will persist in them [the animals] in order that people will eat from them at other times. And this is [the meaning of] 'and you will live long,' that since in the future you will live long in the land, you need existence to persist for food in order to provide you with food for the long term. Therefore come the Midrashot, Rabbi Tanchum said...[see next source for comment of Rabbi Tanhuma]

translation from Judaic Classics Library
Another explanation: What is the meaning of, 'You shall send away (shiluah) the mother bird'? If you will fulfill this precept you will hasten thereby the coming of King Messiah, of whom Scripture uses the expression shiluah (‘sending free’), as it is said, “That send forth freely the feet of the ox and the ass” (Isa. 32:20). Another comment: R. Tanhuma said: If you fulfill this precept you will hasten the coming of Elijah the prophet,
of blessed memory, of whom Scripture uses the expression, ‘shiluah,’ as it is said, “Behold, I will send (sholeah) you Elijah the prophet” (Malachi 3:23); and he will come and comfort you. Where is this [in Scripture]? For it is said, “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children” (ib., verse 24).³