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  Rabbi Mike Comins
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TorahTrek eJournal

Judaism, Wilderness, Sustainability, Spirituality

Maimonides: Not for Human's Sake

6/22/2018

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Quotables: Wild Judaism

​Guide of the Perplexed, Part III, chapter 13 

It should not be believed that all the beings exist for the sake of the existence of humanity. On the contrary, all the other beings too have been intended for their own sakes, and not for the sake of something else.… this is what one ought to believe. For when people know their own soul, make no mistakes regarding it, and understand every being according to what it is, they become calm and their thoughts are not troubled by seeking…any final end for what has no final end except its own existence, which depends on the divine will--if you prefer you can also say: on the divine wisdom. 
​Moses Maimonides, Guide of the Perplexed, translated by 
Shlomo Pines, pps 184 and 187. Adapted. 

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Evan Eisenberg: The Transcendent God and Nature

6/22/2018

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Quotables: Wild Judaism

In looking at the Hebrew view of nature, it is a common mistake to pay more attention to the form—the bare idea of a single transcendent God—than to the content, both legal and poetic. The content of the Bible shows, as the great nineteenth-century naturalist Alexander von Humboldt noted, a greater and more sweeping sense of the grandeur of nature than is found among the Greeks, even at their most “pagan.” (p. 52)

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Ecclesiastics: The World Abides Forever

6/22/2018

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Quotables: Wild Judaism

One generation goes, another comes,
but the earth abides forever
 (Ecclesiastes 1:4)

Rabbi Judah ben Korchah said:
One could argue that the verse should have read, 
“The earth goes and the earth comes, 
and the generation abides forever”--
because which was created for the sake of which?
The earth was created for the sake of a generation!*
But a generation doesn’t abide by God’s commands--
hence it decays;
whereas the earth abides by God’s commands--
hence it does not decay.

​
*i.e., for the sake of human beings

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Backyard Rainbows

6/15/2018

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Educator's Corner

Adapted by Laura Bellows of the Teva Learning Alliance from Spirit in Nature: Teaching Judaism and Ecology on the Trail by Matt Biers-Ariel, Deborah Newbrun, and Michal Fox Smart (Behrman House, 2000).
 
Ages: 6 and up
 
Setting: Outdoors, in a colorful, biodiverse natural area
 
Goals:
  • To strengthen personal commitment to conservation and stewardship
  • To increase awareness and observation skills
  • To understand the rainbow in a Torah context: A sign of God’s promise never again to destroy the earth and a reflection of the beauty of creation
  • To learn the traditional blessing for seeing a rainbow and/or share appreciation of this divine covenant
  • To become familiar with appropriate care and collecting practices in nature (for example, not collecting poison ivy, not picking unless abundant)
Download Lesson Plan
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B'naiture: Wilderness Torah's Bnei Mitzvah Program

6/15/2018

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Zelig Golden explains B'naiture, an innovative, 2-year program leading to Bar or Bat Mitzvah. This groundbreaking program weaves Jewish teachings, story, and song with personal challenges, outdoor skills, non-parental mentorship, peer group community building, and nature awareness activities to provide an embodied way for youth to explore coming-of-age.
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Summer Heats Up!

5/2/2018

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Sustainability Now

by Dav Camras
How can you cut down on your a/c bill and still keep a comfortable home? Let me count the ways, and there are many:
  • On cool nights, open the windows and just run the fan to help circulate air around the house. So often, I hear people’s air conditioners running when it is a cool 60 degrees outside. I am sure their house is hot, but we can let Mother Nature do some of the work and save. Purchase a couple of fans and place them near windows to take the cool air in. You can even get really fancy and get a whole house fan installed, but that does take some skilled carpentry, and I don’t recommend the cheap kinds from the big-box stores. They don’t seal tightly when not in use, and so will just drive up your heating costs in winter.

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Welcome Fall!

5/2/2018

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Sustainability Now

by Dav Camras
Welcome to Fall! Now let’s get our homes ready for the change in season. Given early Fall’s mild weather, it is the best time to work on some of those exterior projects. A bit of early prevention is sure cheaper than repairing water damage later.
​
So, lets take it from the top; climb up on the roof (or get a young and healthy helper) to check the flashings (the metal stuff) around your vent pipes sticking up out of your roof. If you see any holes, go get some of the roofing tar sold in buckets from a home improvement store. Are there any missing shingles? Rainwater coming in through the roof will always ruin your day, not to mention your pocketbook. And while you’re up there, make sure the chimney hasn’t moved. Don’t laugh, they do, and the holes created or falling brick can be a serious bummer.

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Improve Your Home on the Cheap

5/2/2018

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Sustainability Now

                                       by Dav Camras
Improving your home's energy efficiency, indoor air quality and water efficiency 
doesn't have to break the bank. Below, I have listed several easy options to green 
your home on the (relative) cheap that should help you to save money on your 
energy bills.
​
1. Buy some heavy blackout curtains for your windows and/or doors. Instead of
buying new windows with multiple panes or opting for those stylish but not 
well-insulating blinds, blackout curtains can be found for under fifty dollars 
and can reduce heat loss/gain by a quarter. That gain, of course, is when you 
draw your draperies. In addition, if there is no insulation in your walls, the 
draperies will also act as a layer of insulation trapping the cold air on one 
side and the warm room air on the other (in the summer the reverse is true).

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The Farm-to-Table Movement

5/2/2018

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Sustainability Now

by Terry Heller
There’s a Movement going on, and the signs are appearing everywhere:
​
My local County Fair is edging out Fried Twinkies in favor of a cornucopia of fresh mint, peaches, peppers and other exotic California bounty bursting forth from the fairground’s organic garden.  The State has even bestowed a grant to triple the size of the garden by next year and start a horticulture program for school children.  The local fair is returning to a celebration of its agrarian roots!

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Sustainable Camping

5/2/2018

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Sustainability Now

by Terry Heller
The future of wilderness camping, hikes and other sustainable outdoor recreation depends on more people adopting the principles of “Leave No Trace” camping. The core principal is that no one should know you’ve been there after you’ve gone. This means no litter, no smoldering fire pits, no ripped up grass, crushed bushes or re-positioned boulders. It also means staying on the marked trail, never picking plants, flowers or berries, and never harming or disturbing wildlife–endangered or not. 
​
Following these simple principles will not only enhance your experience of the wild, but will secure that experience for the next visitor and the next generation.

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    Welcome to the TorahTrek eJournal! Here you will find videos, interviews, articles, photos, and educational materials on the interconnections between Judaism, wilderness, spiritual practice and sustainability. Our goal is to support the spiritual/ethical lives of individuals, enliven and strengthen the Jewish community, and promote a sustainable society living in balance with the earth. ​Explore the eJournal by clicking on the topics below. Please share these resources with your friends! 

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    5 Sustainability
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