Trees appear throughout Jewish text and tradition as both praiseworthy models and as metaphors for human acts of justice and loving-kindness. Thriving, rooted, fruitful – Psalm 92 and Bamidbar Rabbah invite us to reflect on how we bring tree-like attributes, communally and individually, to the work for climate justice, ensuring a just, livable future for all.
Consider playing or singing Tzadik Katamar - Psalm 92 before your learning.
Text #1: Psalms 92:13-14
Psalms (“Tehillim”) is a biblical anthology of 150 poems attributed to King David and often sung.
(יג) צַ֭דִּיק כַּתָּמָ֣ר יִפְרָ֑ח כְּאֶ֖רֶז בַּלְּבָנ֣וֹן יִשְׂגֶּֽה׃ (יד) שְׁ֭תוּלִים בְּבֵ֣ית יהוה בְּחַצְר֖וֹת אֱלֹהֵ֣ינוּ יַפְרִֽיחוּ׃
The righteous bloom like a date-palm,
t
hey thrive like a cedar in Lebanon.
Planted in the house of the LORD,
they flourish in God’s courtyards.
Questions:
- What are some characteristics of being oriented to justice (tzedek) and being a righteous person (tzadik)?
- This psalm draws a connection between being oriented to justice and thriving / flourishing. How might one lead to the other or visa versa?
- What does this look like in our collective work for climate justice?
Text #2. Bamidbar Rabbah 3:1
Bamidbar Rabbah (~1200 CE) is a midrashic interpretation of the biblical Book of Bamidbar (Numbers).
מַה תְּמָרָה זוֹ אֵין בָּהּ פְּסוֹלֶת* אֶלָּא תְּמָרִים לַאֲכִילָה, לוּלָבִין לְהִלּוּל, חֲרָיוֹת לְסִכּוּךְ, סִיבִים לַחֲבָלִים, סַנְסַנִּים לַכְּבָרָה, שִׁפְעַת קוֹרוֹת לְקָרוֹת בָּהֶן אֶת הַבַּיִת.
כָּךְ הֵם יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵין בָּהֶם פְּסֹלֶת* אֶלָּא מֵהֶם בַּעֲלֵי מִקְרָא, מֵהֶם בַּעֲלֵי מִשְׁנָה, מֵהֶם בַּעֲלֵי אַגָּדָה, מֵהֶם בַּעֲלֵי מִצְווֹת, מֵהֶם בַּעֲלֵי צְדָקוֹת וְכָל הָעִנְיָן.
This palm tree has no waste (psolet) but only dates for eating, branches for rejoicing (in the festival of Sukkot), fronds for covering (the Sukkah), fibers for ropes, small branches for the sieve, leaf stalks for beams in the house.
So are the People of Israel, there is no waste (psolet) among them but rather some who are masters of the Tanakh (Hebrew bible), some are masters of the Mishnah (foundational legal teachings), some are masters of the Aggadah (stories and folklore), some are masters of mitzvot (good deeds and action), some are masters of tzedakah (acts of giving and justice) and every kind of subject.
Psolet = waste, worthless matter
Questions:
- A successful climate movement, too, is made up of many voices, talents, and experiences. How does it feel to be part of a larger whole?
- How have you contributed to the greater whole in your life?
- What roles (broadly defined) do you currently hold or hope to hold in the future in the climate movement?
For more conversation about Jewish climate wisdom, see Dayenu's Climate Torah Resources.
