Intro

INTRODUCTION: MY JOURNEY WITH THE SONG OF SONGS

  • Personal Background

    • Worked as a river guide in Northern California as a young adult.

    • Seasonal transition from winter to spring prompted annual trips to the foothills of the Sierras.

  • Experience of Spring

    • Description of the land transforming from brown to green; appreciation of nature through sensory details:

    • Soft green moss and miner’s lettuce; colorful flowers like buttercups and paintbrushes; sounds of birds.

    • Gatherings with friends around campfires, sharing poetry from nature writers.

  • Impact of Song of Songs

    • A passage from the Song of Songs deeply resonated with personal experiences of spring:

    • Quotation: "Get up! My beloved, my beauty. Come away! For now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone…"

    • This passage sparked a sense of longing and connection to the natural world.

    • Emphasis on the embodiment of experiences: how sensations invoke feelings of joy, romanticism with Earth.

  • Significance of Language and Literature

    • Acknowledgment of the lack of language to express the awe of nature and environmental concerns during early studies of biology.

    • Influences from nature writers:

    • Annie Dillard, Lewis Thomas, Wendell Berry; helped articulate feelings about beauty and ecological connections.

TEACHING AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

  • Desire to Educate

    • After college, taught high school biology with the intention to inspire students about nature.

    • Use of standard texts led to student boredom;

    • Developed a unique curriculum centered on great works of nature writing, which increased student engagement.

  • Role of Stories and Poetry

    • Realization that literature helps foster environmental awareness and responsibility.

EXPLORING ECOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS IN JUDAISM

  • Personal Quest

    • Curiosity about ecological perspectives within Judaism prompted a deeper exploration of Jewish traditions.

    • Motivation tied to the understanding that a 3,000-year-old tradition might contain ecological insights.

    • Rediscovery of Hebrew language enabled reading biblical texts in the original language, unveiling ecological themes.

  • Founding of Shomrei Adamah

    • In 1988, founded the first national Jewish environmental organization, Shomrei Adamah, Keepers of the Earth:

    • Mission to bring attention to the ecological dimensions of Judaism.

    • Activities included researching, writing articles, and producing curricula focused on ecological aspects of Judaism.

THE SONG OF SONGS: A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING

  • Nature Imagery

    • Song of Songs is filled with various representations of nature (gardens, animals, plants) – essential elements of the text.

    • Rich use of imagery reflects reverence for nature and life:

    • Various creatures are elevated and praised throughout the text.

  • Interpreting the Song

    • Traditional interpretations are viewed as an allegory of the relationship between God and Israel.

    • Contemporary interpretation is recognized as an erotic love poem.

    • Claim that the Song also represents a profound love story between humans and nature, emphasizing interdependence.

  • Eros and Nature

    • Explored the broader meaning of Eros as life’s desire to exist and create, alongside romantic love:

    • Figurative language intertwines lovers with nature, reflecting on unity with surrounding life (e.g., the metaphor of lovers becoming part of the land).

    • Specific imagery:

      • Women depicted as lilies among thorns, gardens locked, indicating bodily and natural intertwining.

COMMENTARY BY YEHUDA FELIKS

  • Feliks’s Interpretation

    • Yehuda Feliks offers a tri-faceted interpretation of the Song:

    1. Traditional allegory (God and Israel).

    2. Romantic narrative of human lovers.

    3. Unique perspective of a male and female gazelle, expanding the text's representation of love:

      • Transformation of characters, indicating the deep connection between humans and nature.

      • Concurrent expressions of humanity and animality, based on the Netsilik people's beliefs.

ECO-THEOLOGY AND ITS RELEVANCE

  • Two Decades of Exploration

    • The ongoing quest to explore eco-theology within the Song of Songs spanned over twenty years.

  • Emerging Need for Spiritual and Cultural Transformation

    • Referencing Gus Speth's assertion regarding environmental issues not being technological but rooted in deeper societal values:

    • Quote from Gus Speth: "The top environmental problems… are selfishness, greed, and apathy…"

    • Highlighting the importance of aligning with deeper values and the need for a cultural shift towards justice and love rather than individualism.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RELIGIOUS LITERATURE

  • Nurturing Values

    • Emphasizing that appreciation of the earth isn't a rational exercise but rooted in experience, intuition, and culture:

    • Nurturing these values necessitates teachings from biblical literature.

  • The Song of Songs as a Vital Text

    • Noted as accessible and deeply ecological within the biblical canon:

    • Role of the Song: Invites readers to appreciate the natural world, offering clarity and renewed love for their surroundings.

    • Importance especially for readers seeking a connection with both spiritual truths and environmental consciousness.