Are we cultivating and caring for our souls?

Understanding our origins helps us better understand our present. The past leaves us with stories that allow us to grow and improve through experience.

Parashat Bereshit is so rich in light of the basic levels of interpretation—Pshat (literal), Remez (allegorical), Drash (interpretation), and Sod (mystical) —allowing thousands of messages to be derived from each verse. Bereshit comes from the words “Beh” (in, within) and “reshit” (first), from the same root as rosh (head, beginning, principal); thus, it follows that Bereshit is “the beginning of all creation.” This parashah contains a variety of topics, including the creation of our physical world, our solar system, our planet, our light, the universe, and all the animals, culminating in a unique creation: the human being.

Next comes the creation of Shabbat—the day of rest, and we see how everything was created to generate life, to be blessed, and to enable us to rejoice and admire God’s handiwork. Later, it will recount how man was created androgynous, and at a certain point, God separated man’s feminine aspect from his masculine, stating that it was not good for man to be alone. Then man’s purpose in the garden, created by God, is revealed: to care for it, cultivate it, and subdue it. Now, man and woman are instructed not to eat any fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Then, one day, a talking serpent appears to the woman, who had not yet been named Eve. She takes the fruit she had been instructed not to eat and eats it. She does not stop there but shares it with her husband, who also eats it, thus committing the first sin of the world: disobedience. As a result of this action, they are expelled from the Garden of Eden and sentenced – now human beings would return to the dust, not that we will die, but that we will eat our daily bread in pain, as well as give birth in pain. This story ends with them being expelled from the Garden, no longer having unrestricted access to the Tree of Life.

As a consequence of their actions, the story of their sons, Cain and Abel, now outside Eden, culminates in humanity’s first murder. The cause – envy and violence. Thus begins the degradation of humankind through the descendants of Cain and Seth. The cycles of life and death of each descendant are recounted, reaffirming the Eternal’s sentence in the initial chapters: all return to the earth, regardless of their age.

The story takes a turn – as humanity develops as a society, it acquires more knowledge of good and evil, the fear of God disappears, and it becomes corrupt, to the point that God decides to wipe out all living beings with a flood. Now, a renewed humanity should have emerged; through the only surviving family—Noah and his sons and their families. However, these men also became corrupt, and this is how the sons of Noah appear. Noah was dishonoured by his son Ham, and men who supplanted God, such as Nimrod, appear for the first time.

The human race attempts to surpass God and builds a tower, which is destroyed by the Divine Hand. Once again, man is dispersed across the globe, and languages ​​are established. The parashah ends by offering humanity hope through Shem’s descendants, preparing the way for the story of Abraham’s introduction.

I want to address a topic that arose about two weeks ago while listening to a presentation on climate change. The speaker discussed the roles and worldviews of various cultures in caring for the planet, beginning with an investigation of humanity’s role on Earth and our responsibility for it. While it’s true that humanity’s role in the environment wasn’t the central theme, its opening premise got me thinking.

He began by describing how the northern tribes of the continent (Haida and Sioux) taught that their primary role was to be protectors and guardians of the natural and spiritual order, manifesting itself in a deep relationship with nature, the worship of spirits, and the belief that both humans and animals are interrelated and sacred. From this perspective, they emphasized their role as environmental protectors, their respect for nature, and community responsibility, with specific, separate roles for men and women. They also believed that nature’s elements — such as wind, water, plants, and animals — possess their own spirit and personality; that, in renewable cycles, the Earth acts as a mother; and that, before using her resources, permission must be sought through ceremonies and rituals.

Then I began researching the Popol Vuh, a sacred text of the K’iche Mayans of Guatemala, which tells us that humans were created several times, starting from clay but ultimately emerging from corn, so they could worship and feed the gods through offerings. Humans were part of a larger system called Qanan Ulew, or “Mother Earth”, and all things, living or nonliving, have a spirit and deserve respect. There is a cosmic order with various levels (heaven, earth, and the underworld), interconnected by the sacred ceiba tree. Humans were created to speak to the gods and maintain cosmic order through rituals, offerings, and thanksgiving.

Likewise, the Incas and Quechuas believed that Viracocha created the world, formed man from clay, and that his role was to respect moral and natural laws in reciprocity with Pachamama (Mother Earth). Life is reciprocal, such that what is taken from the earth must be returned. In general, all Amerindian religions share a common understanding that creation is a cyclical process carried out by the gods, that nature has its own living soul, and that man’s role is to balance the spiritual and material worlds. He must live in gratitude and respectfully repay nature for providing what is necessary for his sustenance. Man’s purpose is to maintain the balance between the gods, nature, and community.

The reason for my drash today comes from the Catholic translation of Genesis 1:28 that says: “God blessed them, saying to them: ‘Be fruitful and multiply.’” Fill the earth and have her submit. Why? Because he said: I had trouble reading the Western, Judeo-Christian version, because everyone else seeks harmony, but this speaks to us about filling and subduing without giving anything in return. Then his presentation followed with (which I loved, by the way), “but I was left with this thorn in my side. I wanted to explain what the Torah says about this, in the midst of this progressive world today, with ecological values ​​of supposed defenders of this planet, protesting against nonexistent genocides.”

Before Genesis 1:28, verse 26 says, “וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ Vayomer Elohím: na’aseh adam betzalmeinu kidmuteinu, And God said, ‘Let Us make humankind in Our image, in Our likeness.’” Notice that humankind had not yet been contaminated by disobedience, but God desires for us to possess His characteristics within us. If we begin with the premise that God is not “matter”, nor created from matter, we cannot reproduce Him in the likeness of man, but we can recreate those “ethereal” characteristics. Until this verse, God had manifested Himself, demonstrating characteristics such as love, governance, creativity, life, logic, and order, a Being who blesses what He does, among others. So, in 1:28, God would not hand the world over to an irrational animal, but to one who emulated His characteristics.

Verse 27 states: “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God, He created him; male and female, He created them.” Vayivra Elohim et-ha’adam betzalmo; betzelem Elohím bara oto; zachar unekeva bara otam. וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים. Here again, He reaffirms His plan and carries it out. One thing that we see from God is that He does what he says He will do.

Then verse 28 says, “And God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful, increase in number, fill the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” Vayevarech otam Elohim vayomer lahem Elohim: peru urvu umilu et-ha’aretz vechivshua; Urdu bidgat hayam uve’of hashamayim uvechol chaiya haromeset al ha’aretz. The key words that interest me here are to subdue “Vechivshua וְכִבְשֻׁהָ” and to dominate Urdu וּרְדוּ. Right now, today. Is the Hebrew God so evil that He would order us toward our self-destruction?

Radu רְדוּ (dominate) implies responsible leadership; it does not refer to exploitation. In the Hebrew Bible, depending on the context, it means ordained authority to carry out a function. We see how it appears in Bereshit 9:2 when it says: “Every living thing that moves on the land will be given to them; and they will rule(רְדוּ) over the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky and every living thing that moves on the ground.”

However, it can also be used in other contexts, such as during the reign of Solomon. 1 Kings 4:4 says, “Solomon ruled (רָדָה radah) over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistine.”; or Shemot 1:8-14, which refers to ​​the subjugation of Israel by the Egyptians. Vechivshua וְכִבְשֻׁהָ, “conquer or subdue it” in this parashah, does not refer to military conquest, but rather to bringing order to the earth, to a relationship in which mankind, gifted with God’s image, must emulate it, by taking care of the garden that God gave us.

From there, we connect to Genesis 2:15: “God persuaded the man to enter the garden, and placed him in the Garden of Eden, to cultivate it and take care of it.” Vayikach Adonai Elohim et-ha’adam, vayanichehu beGan Eden, le’avda ulshomra. וַיִּקַּח יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאָדָם וַיַּנִּחֵהוּ. Unlike other cultures, it seems that God gave man that responsibility from the moment He endowed him with the ability to decide, and it is man, not “Mother Nature”, who must answer for the proper care and administration of the asset that God gave him: The Earth.

So, we are given this work as a spiritual purpose, and we cannot be idle. The words used are Le’avdah (to work) and Ul’shomra (shomer- to guard). But doesn’t it say that the garden miraculously produced its fruit on its own? Why does it say, “to work”? Bereshit Rabbah 16:5 says that “le’avdah” (to work it) and “ul’shomra” (to guard it) not only refer to physical cultivation, but to fulfilling the commandments. So, we were not slaves; instead, we were placed in the garden as God’s servants to maintain its balance. Rabbi Hirsch offers the following insight: “If a person cultivates the ground without observing its limits, he destroys the garden; if he keeps it without cultivating it, he makes it barren.” Therefore, man was meant to serve the garden, not exploit it.

This idea, previously described, is very applicable today. We are all an Eden, a soul that is a microcosm. From the moment we are born, we are in a state of balance between both worlds. As we develop, we come to know good and evil and experience pain and effort. This is where God’s commands to us —le’avdah and ul’shomra — make sense. Are we cultivating our land? Are we protecting it? Are we reaping chaos, imbalance, and destruction? Today’s actions define tomorrow’s results: destruction (decay) or spiritual sterility.

We read that upon being expelled, man stopped caring for and cultivating his soul, causing an imbalance in the created world. Man, who was supposed to have been designed to use his power (i.e., his creativity, strength, desire) to serve God and maintain harmony, had now created a rupture in keeping these commandments. We see how Cain “cultivated” but did not “guard” the land; that is, his work was selfish and disconnected from divine service. He embodied le’avdah without ul’shomra, action without restraint. We see how Abel “guarded” his flock but did not transform the world (i.e., barren), representing ul’shomra without le’avdah, care without productivity. As a consequence, when Cain killed Abel, “it was the triumph of dominion without ethics.” Thus, Abel’s shed blood symbolizes “cultivation without care.”

In chapter 6:11-12, it says, “And the land became corrupt before God, and the land was filled with hamas (violence, robbery).” Thus, humanity “cultivated” the world through “action, power, and expansion,” but had completely lost its “guarding”—that is, “setting limits, exercising justice, and practicing restraint.” Thus, the world returned to “a formless and empty earth” (tohu vavohu), as it was at the beginning of creation. The cosmos regressed to chaos. The Tanchuma, Noah Shiman12, summarizes the idea that “when man abuses the dominion given him over the earth, the earth itself rises against him.”

 

I conclude with the imbalance of post-Flood man. Noah planted a vineyard (cultivated it) but did not take care of it, resulting in drunkenness, nakedness, and family shame. Again, God told man, upon leaving the ark: “Take care and guard,” but instead, he generated an imbalance. Noah cared for creation but did not exercise the creative force (cultivation) after the Flood, leaving it barren. Then, man built a tower to establish governance (cultivates), but did not take care of it or guard it, thereby giving rise to the god-man Nimrod. This is why I believe Abraham was chosen: he returned to the commandment to care (chesed and ul’shomra) and to serve (le’avdah), which translates into blessing.

Now I can firmly say that the Torah, taken out of context, is meaningless, but with the right spirit, it is a tree of life for humanity. Therefore, the speaker’s vision fell short of the Torah’s richness.

Shabbat Shalom

Mauricio Quintero