December 8, 2011: Praying for a Human Miracle

Dear Chevre (Friends):

Last week, at the height of the deadliest and most catastrophic wildfire in the history of the modern State of Israel, President Shimon Peres said: “We are praying for the fire to end; we are praying for a miracle.” What miracle, exactly? Hanukkah commemorates the miracle “of those days at this time of the year.” What miracle, exactly? Was it the supernatural miracle—that a single day’s supply of oil lasted for eight? Or was it, rather, the human miracle—that an outnumbered band of freedom fighters mustered the courage and determination to overthrow their mighty oppressors… against all odds to the contrary.

The blaze reportedly broke out from an illegal landfill, but the devastation really stemmed from tinder-dry conditions due to the worst multi-year drought on record. Climate change affects different regions of the globe disproportionately, and, unfortunately, Israel is particularly vulnerable. The water level of the Sea of Galilee has dropped to within fifteen inches of “the black line,” below which the lake will dry up completely, like the Aral Sea. Last month, alarmed Israeli ornithologists reported the first ever sighting of the desert swallow in the streets of Jerusalem, an ominous sign that the Negev is beginning to creep up the Judean hills. On November 16, the Chief Rabbi of Israel declared a public day of fasting and prayer for rain to restore the natural order.

The Chief Rabbi was not off-base—on condition that we direct our prayers and fasts to ourselves, as well as to God. One of the prayers for redemption in our Siddur maintains: “we cannot only pray to You, O God, to end starvation; for You have already given us the resources with which to feed the entire world, if we would only use them wisely.” (Rabbi Jack Reimer) Similarly, the prophet Isaiah proclaims on Yom Kippur, the most solemn of fast days: “Is not this the fast I desire? To break off every yoke.” (Isaiah 58:6) So, yes, I, like Shimon Peres, am praying for a miracle. I am praying for a human miracle—that we, citizens of the earth, break off every yoke of greed for short-term gain, overthrow our mighty disregard for environmental degradation, use our God-given resources wisely, and learn to live within, not above, the natural order… against all incentives to the contrary.

Rabbi Brian
rabbi.brian.besser@gmail.com