Page 32 - HaMizrachi #6 TuBishvat 5779

The Stewardship Paradigm

ew texts have had a deeper Universe, it is the human being who is
influence on Western civilization appointed master of the earth.
F than the first chapter of
Genesis, with its momentous vision of Grappling with the challenging notion
the universe coming into being as the of humans as divinely-ordained owners
work of G-d. Set against the grandeur and subduers of the earth, we come
of the narrative, what stands out is the face to face with the fundamental
smallness yet uniqueness of humans, questions of our place in the universe
vulnerable but also undeniably set apart and our responsibility for it. A literal
from all other beings. interpretation suggests a world in which
people cut down forests, slaughter
The words of the Psalmist echo the animals, and dump waste into the seas
wonder and humility that the primordial at their leisure, much like we see in our
couple must have felt as they beheld the world today.
splendor of creation
On the other hand, as Rav Kook,
“When I consider your heavens, first Chief Rabbi of Israel, writes, any

The work of your fingers, intelligent person should know that
Genesis 1:28, “does not mean the
The moon and the stars, domination of a harsh ruler, who afflicts
his people and servants merely to fulfil
Which you have set in place.
his personal whim and desire, according
What is humanity that you are mindful of it, to the crookedness of his heart.” Could
G-d have really created such a complex
The children of mortals that you care for and magnificent world solely for the
them? caprice of humans?

Yet you have made them little lower than the Genesis 1 is only one side of the complex
angels biblical equation. It is balanced by the
narrative of Genesis 2, which features a
And crowned them with glory and honor.”
second Creation narrative that focuses
(Psalms 8:3-5) on humans and their place in the Garden
of Eden. The first person is set in the
The honor and glory that crowns the Garden “to work it and take care of it.”
human race is possession of the earth,
which is granted as the culmination The two Hebrew verbs used here are
of G-d’s creative work: “Be fruitful significant. The first – le’ovdah – literally
and multiply, fill the earth and subdue means “to serve it.” The human being is
it.” This notion is fortified in Psalm thus both master and servant of nature.
115: “The heavens are the Lord’s The second – leshomrah – means “to
heavens, but the earth G-d has given to guard it.” This is the verb used in later
humanity.” While the creation narrative biblical legislation to describe the
clearly establishes G-d as Master of the responsibilities of a guardian of property

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