Day 39: Netzah b’Yesod

Netzah b’Yesod

by Rabbi Howard Cohen

No, wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread. A civilization that destroys what little remains of the wild, the spare the original, is cutting itself off from its origins and betraying the principle of civilization itself. --Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire

Wilderness is a necessary condition for every revelation: Whoever would wish to acquire Torah, must make himself ownerless like the wilderness.  --Midrash Rabbah

Reflections / Contemplation: 

In what ways is wilderness necessary to my life, to my appreciation or understanding of Judaism, and to my relationship with God?

Yesterday we looked at a passage from R. Nash who suggested that the term wilderness defies definition. How do I define the term for myself in the two passages for today?

A Commitment for Inner / Outer Action: 

Today I will devote 18 minutes to learning about one threat to our remaining wilderness areas.