The climate crisis affects us all but communities on the frontlines of this crisis experience its impacts first and worst, from daily exposure to toxic drilling and contaminated water, to droughts, wildfires, extreme heat, and superstorms. Vayikra Rabbah invites us to consider our interconnectedness and collective responsibility.
Vayikra Rabbah 4:6
Vayikra Rabbah is a collection of midrashic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus, 5th c. CE.
תָּנֵי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי, מָשָׁל: לִבְנֵי אָדָם שֶׁהָיוּ יוֹשְׁבִין בִּסְפִינָה, נָטַל אֶחָד מֵהֶן מַקְדֵּחַ וְהִתְחִיל קוֹדֵחַ תַּחְתָּיו. אָמְרוּ לוֹ חֲבֵרָיו: מַה אַתָּה יוֹשֵׁב וְעוֹשֶׂה? אָמַר לָהֶם: מָה אִכְפַּת לָכֶם? לֹא תַחְתִּי אֲנִי קוֹדֵחַ?
אָמְרוּ לוֹ: שֶׁהַמַּיִם עוֹלִין וּמְצִיפִין עָלֵינוּ אֶת הַסְּפִינָה.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai taught a parable: A group of people were in a boat, and one of them took out a drill and began to drill a hole beneath himself. His fellow passengers said to him: What are you doing?! He replied: What concern is it to you? Aren’t I drilling only under myself? They replied: You will flood the boat for us all!
Questions:
- In the context of climate change, what is this boat? Who or what is on the boat? Who or what is drilling a hole?
- How would you respond to the person drilling the hole in the boat?
For more conversation about Jewish climate wisdom, see Dayenu's Climate Torah Resources.
