The Embodied Torah of Nature

Psalm 65

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“The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys are enveloped with grain.” (65:14)

This verse is the picture of a sustainable community, describing a symbiotic relationship between that which grows on the land and the animals which eat that which the land produces. The flocks consume the growth and leave donations of fertilizing waste. The shepherds shear the flocks to spin the wool, select animals for food, use the skins for parchment, perhaps to write a Sefer Torah, and the farmers plant wheat and barley for bread. The farmer cares for the land, the shepherd moves around the flocks, and all depend on God for proper rain in its season.

Psalm 52

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“The righteous will see and be awestruck; they will laugh at him. (52:8)

The righteous person sees the downfall of the wicked and is struck with awe. The cynics laugh at him, assuming that he is surprised that God punishes the wicked. A truly righteous person would have expected God to mete out justice, rather than being nonplussed by God’s power. What a wonder to retain the ability to be astonished and awed by the expected! The sun rises or the tide comes in or the dandelions bloom or a turkey stands in the middle of a busy street and we are awed by the power and beauty of God’s world.

Psalm 24

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“The earth is Adonai’s and the fullness thereof.” (24:1)

We are temporary residents of a world entirely belonging to the Blessed Holy One. Perhaps because we don’t own the world, we treat it as poorly as many apartment dwellers treat their living space. Homeowners tend to take care of their property better than renters. Perhaps the Psalmist should have written, “The earth, and everything in it, belong to you. If you want your investment to increase in value, take care of it.” Instead, he suggests that we are guests in someone else’s home. Only those who show honor to their Host deserve standing in God’s world as recipients of God’s blessing.

Psalm 18

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“Gliding on the wings of the wind.” (18:11)

In order for a kite to experience lift, it needs resistance. If you let go of the string and let it fly free, it will quickly crash into the ground (or a tree, if you’re Charlie Brown). If you pull on the string, forcing air to flow over and under the surfaces of the kite, you create a high pressure area beneath the kite and a low pressure area above the kite. The high pressure zone lifts the kite towards the low pressure zone. We, too, need some resistance, some challenges in our life, to reach our highest potential.

Psalm 8

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“The moon and stars that You set in place …” (8:4)

I love looking at the constellations of stars and marveling at the imagination of the ancient astronomers who saw the patterns and named them. It is easy to see why the Psalmist envisioned God carefully setting each celestial object in place. How could such cosmic artistry be an accident? Surely, the magnificence of the night sky testifies to the Creator of heaven and earth. Even though I understand that it might be the case that the human brain simply looks at randomness and seeks order, I choose to look at the night sky and see God’s hand.