The Earth as Temple; Mourning Zion; Shalom Center Tisha B'Av event this Sunday

[David Seidenberg]

Hi again Chevra,

Sunday 7:30 -9 PM (EST) is the Shalom Center's zoom event on Tisha B'Av and environmental destruction. Here's a link with info and description: https://theshalomcenter.org/events/templeearth5783 -- if you register for the event let them know neohasid.org sent you!

We need to mourn now as much as we ever did. Not just because we are undoing God's Temple of Creation on this planet. Not just because climate disruption is causing vast new waves of refugees, violent storms, and off-the-charts wildfires. Not only because of these threatened and already happening extinctions and upheavals, but also because of reasons tied to Jewish particularism. 

The state of Israel will upend the conditions for justice if Israel's current government ends meaningful judicial review -- the only check, even if it only sometimes works, against racist laws. With actual fascists in the ruling coalition, such laws can be expected forthwith if the judicial changes are enacted. And as the prophets teach, a threat to justice anywhere in Israel-Palestine threatens the very existence of a Jewish polity on the holy land. 

I'm starting an fb group to gather people with like minds on these questions. Message me on fb to join. I also added to the prayer for democracy the line from the amidah blessing asking for the restoration judges who administer true justice, "Blessed be You, Ruler who loves righteousness and justice."

As for the Earth being a (THE) Temple, there is a long tradition of varied source texts, going back to ancient times, that make this claim. I will be writing more about this and gathering some sources next week. If you have my book Kabbalah and Ecology, look at p 202 n.661. The Earth/Creation is also the greatest image of God we can know, as various kabbalists explain.

That's all for now -- shabbat shalom!

David Seidenberg