In today’s intricate and fast-paced global economy, the human footprint on the environment is undeniable. Explosive population growth and intensified resource extraction have had a profound impact on ecosystems, wildlife, and the climate. The data is clear—our activities have an enormous impact that cannot be disputed.
As the world faces unprecedented ecological destruction, many believe humans can reverse or mitigate the damage and actively work towards that goal. Others doubt that we have the power to undo what has been done. But if we can break, we must believe we can repair. The core of this modern dilemma touches on an ancient religious question embedded in the very earliest Jewish traditions.
What is humanity’s responsibility to Creation?
The Torah provides a foundational and unambiguous answer in the very first chapter of Genesis; humans are the foremost species and will conquer the world – וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם אֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם אֱלֹהִים פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁהָ.
However, there is a second element that warrants careful consideration.
The Torah soon presents a contrasting image by doing something quite unusual and describes the Creator’s intentions; the Creator places Adam in the Garden of Eden for his benefit, but also to tend and protect it – וַיִּקַּח ה’ אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאָדָם וַיַּנִּחֵהוּ בְגַן־עֵדֶן לְעבְדָהּ וּלְשׁמְרָהּ.
This adds a profoundly different approach to the orientation of conquest and dominion.
Our sages teach that the Creator walked through Eden with Adam and pointed out every detail of every plant, taking great pride in Creation, made for humanity to enjoy. But our sages also teach that the Creator gave Adam a warning that accompanied his great gift, to take great care not to spoil it because no one would fix it for him,
In this reading, humans are not overlords of our world, but stewards entrusted with the care and conservation of the world, validating human power to destroy, but equally validating the power to create and protect – הַשָּׁמַיִם שָׁמַיִם לַה וְהָאָרֶץ נָתַן לִבְנֵי־אָדָם.
What’s more, the Book of Jonah is explicit that the Creator cares for animals and plants; the book concludes with God’s reminder that even animals are precious in the divine view, reinforcing the idea that every aspect of Creation is worthy of protection. Our world is a treasure, and every human, every creature, and every plant is an irreplaceable jewel that the Creator has proudly, attentively, and lovingly shaped. Adam is called a custodian, gardener, and guardian to actively participate and recognize the sanctity of protecting what God has given.
The Torah prohibits needless waste and environmental destruction with a rhetorical question: are trees an enemy that can withdraw? כִּי־תָצוּר אֶל־עִיר יָמִים רַבִּים לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ לְתפְשָׂהּ לֹא־תַשְׁחִית אֶת־עֵצָהּ לִנְדֹּחַ עָלָיו גַּרְזֶן כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ תֹאכֵל וְאֹתוֹ לֹא תִכְרֹת כִּי הָאָדָם עֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה לָבֹא מִפָּנֶיךָ בַּמָּצוֹר.
The entire body of the laws of Shemitta is about creating an ethic of sustainable land use, a way of relating to our world that goes beyond profit and exploitation.
The imagery of the Shema prayer is specifically about the Land of Israel, but in general, it is explicit about how the Earth is sensitive, impacted by, and responds positively or negatively to human behavior.
One lesson of the Flood story is that every species has its place; Noah’s fatal flaw was not fighting for his world, not believing his world was worth saving. Noah was responsible for ensuring the animals could viably survive, and today, we face a similar, though magnified, challenge in preserving the diversity of life on Earth – מֵהָעוֹף לְמִינֵהוּ וּמִן־הַבְּהֵמָה לְמִינָהּ מִכֹּל רֶמֶשׂ הָאֲדָמָה לְמִינֵהוּ שְׁנַיִם מִכֹּל יָבֹאוּ אֵלֶיךָ לְהַחֲיוֹת.
None of this is a creative or symbolic interpretation. These ancient sources are explicit in even the most superficial reading; our great ancestors could never have imagined the context to understand them the way we do today.
We have the power to destroy our planet.
Our ancestors may not have understood the intricate webs of ecosystems and biodiversity to the extent we do today, but our impact on the environment has been exponentially greater than theirs, and with that comes the moral responsibility to use our knowledge wisely.
The pace of a globalized, hypercapitalist society complicates our personal role. The rapid movement of people, products, and ideas worldwide has led to incredible progress and profound environmental degradation.
We live in an age of organized irresponsibility — systems so vast and tangled that no one feels accountable. We are all inherently deeply enmeshed with the global economic system in a way that disconnects us from the consequences of our actions. We don’t mean for orangutans in Indonesia to die when we buy peanut butter; even worse, not buying isn’t enough to save them. The machine has already become so entrenched and vast that it largely exceeds the power of even any government to do much about it.
It’s not the kind of thing that can be conquered by eliminating a singular external obstacle. There is no head to cut off. However, as our sages have taught, we are not obligated to complete the work, but we are not free to desist from it.
So perhaps we need a religious imperative of responsibility to guide our lifestyles, which will shape the course of human progress. We do not have the religious language or precedent to say that renewable and sustainable practices are a mitzvah or that pollution or deforestation is a sin.
But we can certainly say that profaning the pristine environment the Creator gifted us with is a sacrilege, a desecration of what is holy.
We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. The Jewish concept of the image of God reminds us that we are not isolated entities. We are interconnected and responsible for one another and for all Creation.
For the sake of future generations, the question is not whether we make a difference, but whether we will fulfill our sacred duty to safeguard the Earth that has been entrusted to us.
No one else is coming to save it.