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LEVITICUS — 26:30 carcasses

LEV1127 It was taught: Because of the sin of idolatry, exile comes into the world. The Jews are exiled, and others come and sit in their place, as it is written: "And I will cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols," followed by: "and I will make desolate your sanctuaries… and you will I scatter among the nations" (Shabbath 33a)

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LEVITICUS — 26:34 rest

LEV1128 For all of the questions in this case study, two teachings arise for me as transcendently important: One is the contemporary consensus of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a council of scientists from around the world, that planet earth is becoming overheated, that this poses very serious dangers to human civilization and to the web of life in which the human race came into existence, and that this process is mostly due to the actions of the human race itself. The second is the warning in ancient passages in Leviticus 26:31-35 and 26:43 that failure to let the earth rest, as described in Leviticus 25, will bring about social and ecological calamity: famine, drought, and exile. Leviticus is, I think, encoding the accumulated experience of farmers, shepherds, and orchard-keepers on the western edge of the Mediterranean as sacred wisdom. These are the sharpest and most poignant teachings, but not the only relevant ones. The traditional second paragraph of the Shema, for example, taken from Deuteronomy 11:13-21, warns that if we follow the sacred teachings that flow from the One Who/That is the Unity of all life, then the rain, the soil, the sun, and the seed will unite to make our herds and our crops prosper and we will live well; but that if we turn to “afterthought gods” (Elohim acherim), then the earth, the river, and the sky will become our enemies. For me, the God of forethought, or flow, of the Whole is YHWH, Whose name cannot be pronounced but only breathed because God is the interbreeding of all life. … For me, these teachings are not sacred just because they are embedded in what we call Torah. They are sacred because they embody lived and living experience. And they point to what I can see around me: that human action can despoil, and is despoiling, our earth. Human beings, as well as entire species, are dying as a result. … It is also important to pursue the hands-on practices of an “eco-kosher” life-path, in which not only food but everything else we “eat” from the earth--like coal and oil--must be consumed in a way that seeks to heal the earth. Perhaps even more importantly, it is necessary for Jews to advocate vigorously for changes in public policy. It has become clear that governments will take effective action on the climate crisis only if the public insists on serious change. I encourage action based on the following seven principles, which are deeply rooted in Jewish tradition, and which should act as a yardstick for measuring the success and integrity of Jewish and interfaith efforts to shape U.S. and world policy on the climate crisis:... 2. The cost to those responsible for spewing CO2 and methane into the atmosphere must be greatly increased through taxation and/or “cap and trade” legislation that requires payment from carbon producers according to the damage they are causing. The underlying Jewish principle here is captured in Exodus 21:28-30: “When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox is not to be punished. If, however, that ox has been in the habit of goring, and its owner, though warned, has failed to guard it, and it kills a man or a woman--the ox shall be stoned and its owner, too, shall be put to death. If random is laid upon him, he must pay whatever is laid upon him to redeem his life.” (By Arthur Waskow, "Jewish Environmental Ethics: Intertwining Adam with Adamah")

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LEVITICUS — 26:37 perish

LEV1131 If an uncommitted Jew is totally unaware that a particular action is a sin in Judaism, then the transgression performed is done out of ignorance and it is not judged as harshly as for that of a person who is aware of the sin and still transgresses. If a Jew approaches an uncommitted Jew and informs him or her that a particular action is a sin, and this person chooses to continue the action, then the person has been changed from an accidental, unaware sinner into an aware sinner. The act of telling the person who continues actually makes matters worse. That is why the obligation to inform the person exists only if there is a possibility of change. If change is not all realistic, then it is indeed not permitted to inform a transgressor that here she is committing a sin (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 608:2 and Ramah). The same concept can be demonstrated from the talmudic passage (Sanhedrin 27b) that says that each Jew is bound to every other Jew. This is based on [this] Torah verse that seems to say that one Jew is punished for the sins of another Jew. The Talmud then asks: How can this be--is it fair to punish one Jew who did not commit the sin? The answer is that if a Jew could have prevented this sin from taking place, then indeed he or she is punished (although not to the same degree as the actual transgressor). If there was no possibility of preventing the sin, the other Jew is not punished. Only if a Jew can prevent another Jew from sinning is there an obligation to step in. If not, there is no obligation.

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LEVITICUS — 26:37 stumble

LEV1134 The sixth category (of The Stringency of Mitzvos and Classification of Punishment) -- one who is in a position to express his disapproval but does not do so, and he voices no reproof [Tehillim 38:15; This too is a form of flattery and a way of ingratiating oneself]. He does not give a sharp look (Iyov 16:9) when sinning takes place, takes no notice, and refuses to be the one who admonishes. Now the Torah has commanded us to eliminate evil from the midst of our people, as the pasuk says (Devarim 13:6), "You shall eradicate the evil from among you." Our Sages further said (Shabbos 54b): "One who is in a position to object [over the actions] of members of his household and does not do so is held accountable for [the sins committed by] the members of his household; one who is in a position to object [over the actions] of the inhabitants of his city and does not do so is held responsible for [the sins committed by] the habitants of his city; one who is in a position to object [over the actions] of the entire world and does not do so is held responsible for [the sins committed by] the entire world." In addition, the pasuk says [this verse], "They will stumble over each other," and our Sages, z"l, expanded on this (Sanhedrin 27b), "One [will stumble] over the sins of the other." [Based on this,] they said (ibid.) "All Yisrael are responsible for one another."

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LEVITICUS — 26:37 stumble

LEV1132 (Continued from [[DEUT613]] Deuteronomy 13:6 evil HTBAJ 203) And our Sages said, "Everyone for whom it is possible to protest against the sinful things of the people of his household, and he does not protest, is considered guilty of the wrongs of the men of his household. If it is possible for him to protest against the deeds of the people of the city and he does not do so he is held responsible for the wrongs of the people of the city. If it is possible for him to protest against the wrongs of the whole world and he does not do so, then he is considered guilty of the wrongs of all the world." Shabbat 54b. And it is said, "And they shall stumble over one another" (this verse). And our Rabbis, of blessed memory, explained it as meaning, "Each man for the sin of his brother," which teaches us that all Israel are responsible, for one another.…" Sanhedrin 27b. Sefer Orhot Zaddikim -- The Ways of the Righteous

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LEVITICUS — 26:37 stumble

LEV1135 We must try to prevent others from sinning. Rashi cites the Sifra which explains this verse thus: "One shall stumble through the iniquity of another, for all the people of Israel are responsible for each other." (Sifra, Sanhedrin 27b). The Chofetz Chayim used to relate the following analogy: Mr. Cohen loaned Mr. Green a large sum of money. Mr. Shapiro agreed to guarantee the loan; he would pay Mr. Cohen if Mr. Green will be unable to pay. If Mr. Green were investing his money in a business that was sure to lose money, Mr. Shapiro would definitely do everything in his power to prevent Mr. Green from becoming involved in that business. Mr. Shapiro knows that if Mr. Green wastes his money, the obligation to repay the loan will be his. "The same applies to preventing others from sinning," said the Chofetz Chayim. "If someone has the ability to stop another person from transgressing and fails to do so, he is held liable for that offense. Therefore, we must do everything we can to prevent transgressions." (Chofetz Chayim al Hatorah, Nitzovim).

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