(ז) בַּמִדָּה שֶׁאָדָם מוֹדֵד, בָּהּ מוֹדְדִין לוֹ.
(7)With the measure that a person measures, he is measured with it.
(כח) וַֽיְחִי־לֶ֕מֶךְ שְׁתַּ֧יִם וּשְׁמֹנִ֛ים שָׁנָ֖ה וּמְאַ֣ת שָׁנָ֑ה וַיּ֖וֹלֶד בֵּֽן׃ (כט) וַיִּקְרָ֧א אֶת־שְׁמ֛וֹ נֹ֖חַ לֵאמֹ֑ר זֶ֞֠ה יְנַחֲמֵ֤נוּ מִֽמַּעֲשֵׂ֙נוּ֙ וּמֵעִצְּב֣וֹן יָדֵ֔ינוּ מִן־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽרְרָ֖הּ יְהֹוָֽה׃
(28) When Lamech had lived 182 years, he begot a son. (29) And he named him Noah, saying, “This one will provide us relief from our work and from the toil of our hands, out of the very soil which the LORD placed under a curse.”
(א) וַֽיְהִי֙ כִּֽי־הֵחֵ֣ל הָֽאָדָ֔ם לָרֹ֖ב עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֑ה וּבָנ֖וֹת יֻלְּד֥וּ לָהֶֽם׃ (ב) וַיִּרְא֤וּ בְנֵי־הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־בְּנ֣וֹת הָֽאָדָ֔ם כִּ֥י טֹבֹ֖ת הֵ֑נָּה וַיִּקְח֤וּ לָהֶם֙ נָשִׁ֔ים מִכֹּ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּחָֽרוּ׃ (ג) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהֹוָ֗ה לֹֽא־יָד֨וֹן רוּחִ֤י בָֽאָדָם֙ לְעֹלָ֔ם בְּשַׁגַּ֖ם ה֣וּא בָשָׂ֑ר וְהָי֣וּ יָמָ֔יו מֵאָ֥ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֖ים שָׁנָֽה׃ (ד) הַנְּפִלִ֞ים הָי֣וּ בָאָ֘רֶץ֮ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵם֒ וְגַ֣ם אַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֗ן אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָבֹ֜אוּ בְּנֵ֤י הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־בְּנ֣וֹת הָֽאָדָ֔ם וְיָלְד֖וּ לָהֶ֑ם הֵ֧מָּה הַגִּבֹּרִ֛ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר מֵעוֹלָ֖ם אַנְשֵׁ֥י הַשֵּֽׁם׃ {פ} (ה) וַיַּ֣רְא יְהֹוָ֔ה כִּ֥י רַבָּ֛ה רָעַ֥ת הָאָדָ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְכׇל־יֵ֙צֶר֙ מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ת לִבּ֔וֹ רַ֥ק רַ֖ע כׇּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ (ו) וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם יְהֹוָ֔ה כִּֽי־עָשָׂ֥ה אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּתְעַצֵּ֖ב אֶל־לִבּֽוֹ׃ (ז) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהֹוָ֗ה אֶמְחֶ֨ה אֶת־הָאָדָ֤ם אֲשֶׁר־בָּרָ֙אתִי֙ מֵעַל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה מֵֽאָדָם֙ עַד־בְּהֵמָ֔ה עַד־רֶ֖מֶשׂ וְעַד־ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם כִּ֥י נִחַ֖מְתִּי כִּ֥י עֲשִׂיתִֽם׃
(1) When men began to increase on earth and daughters were born to them, (2) the divine beings saw how beautiful the daughters of men were and took wives from among those that pleased them.— (3) The LORD said, “My breath shall not abide in man forever, since he too is flesh; let the days allowed him be one hundred and twenty years.”— (4) It was then, and later too, that the Nephilim appeared on earth—when the divine beings cohabited with the daughters of men, who bore them offspring. They were the heroes of old, the men of renown. (5) The LORD saw how great was man’s wickedness on earth, and how every plan devised by his mind was nothing but evil all the time. (6) And the LORD regretted that He had made man on earth, and His heart was saddened. (7) The LORD said, “I will blot out from the earth the men whom I created—men together with beasts, creeping things, and birds of the sky; for I regret that I made them.”
(ח) וְנֹ֕חַ מָ֥צָא חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃ {פ} (ט) אֵ֚לֶּה תּוֹלְדֹ֣ת נֹ֔חַ נֹ֗חַ אִ֥ישׁ צַדִּ֛יק תָּמִ֥ים הָיָ֖ה בְּדֹֽרֹתָ֑יו אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים הִֽתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹֽחַ׃ (י) וַיּ֥וֹלֶד נֹ֖חַ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה בָנִ֑ים אֶת־שֵׁ֖ם אֶת־חָ֥ם וְאֶת־יָֽפֶת׃ (יא) וַתִּשָּׁחֵ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ לִפְנֵ֣י הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַתִּמָּלֵ֥א הָאָ֖רֶץ חָמָֽס׃ (יב) וַיַּ֧רְא אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְהִנֵּ֣ה נִשְׁחָ֑תָה כִּֽי־הִשְׁחִ֧ית כׇּל־בָּשָׂ֛ר אֶת־דַּרְכּ֖וֹ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ {ס}
(8) But Noah found favor with the LORD. (9) This is the line of Noah.—Noah was a righteous man; he was blameless in his age; Noah walked with God.— (10) Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (11) The earth became corrupt before God; the earth was filled with lawlessness. (12) When God saw how corrupt the earth was, for all flesh had corrupted its ways on earth,
(יג) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֜ים לְנֹ֗חַ קֵ֤ץ כׇּל־בָּשָׂר֙ בָּ֣א לְפָנַ֔י כִּֽי־מָלְאָ֥ה הָאָ֛רֶץ חָמָ֖ס מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם וְהִנְנִ֥י מַשְׁחִיתָ֖ם אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
(13) God said to Noah, “I have decided to put an end to all flesh, for the earth is filled with lawlessness because of them: I am about to destroy them with the earth.
זוהר כרך א (בראשית) פרשת נח דף סא עמוד א
וירא א-להים את הארץ והנה נשחתה, אמאי נשחתה, בגין כי השחית כל בשר את דרכו כמה דאתמר, ר' חייא פתח קרא ואמר (יונה ג) ' וירא א-להים את מעשיהם כי שבו מדרכם הרעה, ת"ח בשעתא דבני נשא זכאן ונטרי פקודי דאורייתא כדין ארעא אתתקפת וכל חידו אשתכחת בה מ"ט בגין דשכינתא שריא על ארעא וכדין כלא עילאי ותתאי בחדוה וכד בני נשא מחבלן ארחייהו ולא נטרי פקודי אורייתא וחטאן קמי מאריהון וכדין כביכול דחיין לה לשכינתא מעלמא ואשתאר' ארעא מחבלא דהא שכינתא אתדחייא ולא שריא עלה וכדין אתחבלת, מ"ט אתחבלת בגין דשריא רוחא אחרא עלה דמחבלא עלמא ת"ח כתיב וירא א-להים את הארץ והנה נשחתה, נשחתה ודאי כמה דאתמר הכי נמי (יונה ג) ' וירא א-להים את מעשיהם כי שבו מדרכם הרעה דהא כדין ארעא קראת לעילא וסלק בסליקו עלאה ומקשטא אנפהא כנוקבא דמקשטא לגבי דכורא, הכי נמי ארעא דהא גדילת בנין זכאין למלכא והכא דלא תבו דרא דטופנא מה כתיב וירא א-להים את הארץ והנה נשחתה וגו' כאתתא דאסתאב' אסתירת אנפהא מבעלה ובזמנא דאסגיאו חובי בני נשא באתגליא ארעא שויתא אנפהא כנוקבא דלית לה כסופא מכלא כמה דאת אמר (ישעיה כ"ב) והארץ חנפה תחת יושביה, ועל דא וירא כי נשחתה
The Zohar, volume 1, p 61a, translation by Harry Spering and Maurice Simon, Soncino Press: London, 1934, p. 198-9
And God saw the earth and behold it was corrupt. It was corrupt because “flesh had corrupted its way,” in the sense we have explained. R’ Hiyya adduced the following text: And God saw their works that they turned from their evil way (Jonah 3:10). See now, he said, when the sons of men are righteous and observe the commands of the Torah, the earth becomes invigorated, and a fullness of joy pervades it, because then the Shechinah [G-d’s immanent Presence] rests upon the earth, and there is thus gladness above as well as below. But when men corrupt their way and do not observe the commands of the Torah, and sin before their Master, they, as it were, thrust the Shechinah out of the world, and the earth is thus left in a corrupt state. For the Shechinah being thrust out, another spirit comes and hovers over the world, bringing with it corruption… R’ Hiyya continued: It is written here, in connection with Noah, And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt. Contrast this with the verse, And God saw their deeds, that they turned from their evil way (Jonah 3:10). There the earth called to God, reaching out towards heaven
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and beautifying her face, as it were, like a woman trying to please her husband; so the earth tried to please God by raising up for Him righteous children. But here, when the generation of the flood did not repent of its sins, it is written, And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, like a faithless wife who hides her face from before her husband. But when mankind committed sin upon sin openly and flagrantly, then the earth became brazen-faced like an abandoned woman without any sense of shame, as it is said on another occasion, And the earth was defiled under its inhabitants (Isaiah 24:5). Hence this is the connection here: God saw that the earth was corrupted. Why? Because all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.
Beit Yaakov commentary to Genesis 6:11, cited in Torah Shlema and translated by Rabbi Dr. Harry Freedman
“And the earth was corrupted”—va-tishaheth, root shaheth. The use of this particular root, which is the same as that used for the destruction by the flood in verse 14, brings home the fact that this punishment was measure for measure
(ט) מִֽי־יוֹדֵ֣עַ יָשׁ֔וּב וְנִחַ֖ם הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְשָׁ֛ב מֵחֲר֥וֹן אַפּ֖וֹ וְלֹ֥א נֹאבֵֽד׃ (י) וַיַּ֤רְא הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ אֶֽת־מַ֣עֲשֵׂיהֶ֔ם כִּי־שָׁ֖בוּ מִדַּרְכָּ֣ם הָרָעָ֑ה וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים עַל־הָרָעָ֛ה אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר לַעֲשׂוֹת־לָהֶ֖ם וְלֹ֥א עָשָֽׂה׃
(9) Who knows but that God may turn and relent? He may turn back from His wrath, so that we do not perish.” (10) God saw what they did, how they were turning back from their evil ways. And God renounced the punishment He had planned to bring upon them, and did not carry it out.
Our concern with environment cannot be reduced to what can be used, to what can be grasped. Environment includes not only the inkstand and the blotting paper, but also the impenetrable stillness in the air, the stars, the clouds, the quiet passing of time, and the wonder of my own being. I am an end as well as a means, and so is the world: an end as well as a means. My view of the world and my understanding of the self, determine each other. The complete manipulation of the world results in the complete instrumentalization of the self. - Who is Man? by Abraham Joshua Heschel (pp. 88)
a. In the Jewish tradition, the halakhah actually deals explicitly with the concept of wasteful consumption. When we waste resources, we are violating the mitzvah not to destroy the world, usually known in Hebrew as bal tashhit, literally, “do not destroy.”
- The Observant Life, pp. 880
b. The over-consumption of resources is at the heart of the environmental crisis. As Jews we are obligated to consider our real needs carefully whenever we purchase anything. When we have a simhah, we are obligated to consider the extravagance of our celebrations.
- The Observant Life, pp. 880
c. Shabbat is one way for Jews to embrace the concept of living a sustainable life. For one day out of seven, Shabbat observers limit their use of the earth’s resources dramatically.
- The Observant Life, pp. 880
d. The Torah has a whole program of tzedek-based laws, all of which try to preserve a just distribution of resources across the community…tzedek should be at therefore be at the heart of the Jewish perspective on environmental justice.
- The Observant Life, pp. 884
e. As Jews we must make a moral commitment to developing a sustainable economy, and we must adopt personal practices and communal policies that reflect that ideal. We must urge our governments to become part of our international process to lower carbon emissions. The future of the Jewish community is bound up with the environment fate of the world.
- From, The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews – April 30, 2012
by Martin S. Cohen (Author, Editor), Michael Katz (Author, Editor)
pp.892
רש"ר הירש בראשית פרשת נח פרק ט פסוק טו
והנה, זו כל עצמה של הקשת: היא קרן אור אחת מלאה וטהורה השבורה לשבעה גוונים - מן הקרן האדומה הקרובה אל האור ועד לקרן הסגולה הרחוקה מן האור ומתמזגת עם האופל; אך כל הגוונים הם אור, והם מצטרפים לקרן לבנה אחת, המאירה במלוא טהרתה. וכך נרמז לנו: כל הרבגווניות של הנפשות החיות, מנפש האדם ה"אדום , " החסר מעט מא-להים, ועד לנפש הכהה של תולעת רומשת - כולן נפש חיה בכל בשר; ומעל לכל: כל ריבוי הגוונים של נפש האדם, מן האדם הרוחני המאיר באור הרוח ועד לאדם המגושם, שאור ה' בו מעומעם -, כולם מחוברים אל החיים, וה' פורש עליהם את סוכת שלומו; בכולם שבירת קרן אור של רוח ה'; וגם כהי הרוח המרוחקים מן האור - בני האור המה .
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch to Genesis 9:15, in The Pentateuch, vol. 1: Genesis, p. 182
"For is the rainbow anything else but the one pure complete ray of light, broken up into seven degrees of seven colours, from the red rays nearest to the light to the violet, most distant from the light, losing itself into the darkness; and from the one to the other are they not all rays of light, and combined all together, do they not form the one complete pure white ray? Could not this perhaps be meant to say: the whole manifold variety of all living creatures from the 'most alive Adam, the 'Adam, 'red one,' 'Man,' nearest to the godly, down to the lowerst, humblest form of life in the humblest worm, 'every living soul that is in all flesh' (v. 16)…God unites them all together in one common bond of peace, all fragments of one life, all refracted rays of the one spirit of God, even the lowest, darkest, most distant one, still a son of the light?
What does this radical mirroring principle, so deeply embedded in the Torah’s literary artistry, teach us about the moment that we are in?
We are in the midst of a climate crisis. The crisis shows us that we did not reflect the earth appropriately. The earth has called, and we’ve responded by exploiting and destroying her. And so, with a tragic symmetry, the earth is mirroring back to us what we have done to her. She is destroying us with fire, flood, drought, heat. She is dysregulated, angry, even furious. We’re the ones who have abandoned, if not God this time, then the earth itself. We might imagine her sitting ashamed, and alone, waiting for her shomer, her steward, to return to her.
How can we re-enter our relationship with the earth with integrity? We can only do so with respect. With humility. With care and compassion. The earth’s majesty is inescapable. Either that fact will be reflected in our actions or she will destroy us.
That is our task. It was outlined from the very beginning of God’s creating the world.
--Rabbi Dianne Cohler-Esses
except from JTS Online Commentary
https://www.jtsa.edu/torah/is-the-world-a-mirror/?fbclid=IwAR0TsF80kX0jE-6zol1pHpUpd4Z4uUxcgQ9pGLcz4rrryr3vLIku85eKA54