Chapter 1
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Eco-Jupaism: Dogs IT Exist?
“The earth is the Lord's” versus “Everything is given into your hand”
Walter Jacob
The Issue
Concerns about the environment have become commonplace; they are shared by most Jews , who feel that the Jewish tradition must certainly provide support for their views. They reason that as the natural world plays a significant role in Scripture, Judaism must be able to make a strong case for the protection of the environment. This essay will test that thesis.
The concern for the environment encompasses a wide variety of issues, some very specific and others quite vague. A religious basis for these concerns, grounded in Jewish thought, would be helpful. Those who have attempted to provide a Jew ish foundation have usually strung together various biblical and rabbinic statements that deal with an aspect of the natural world. Some of these statements have been assembled out of context,
Notes for this section begin on page 22.