#weeklytorah

Parshat Bereishit, Shabbat, 27 Tishrei, 5777 Four years ago, my children and I were visiting the zoo. A zookeeper was out at the lion’s exhibit speaking to visitors about lions.  After going through his presentation, he asked if anyone had any questions about lions.  My daughter, Leah, who was four years old at the time, stepped forward and asked the zookeeper, “Why do lions eat sheep?”         

When we went home later that day, I had Leah read Isaiah 11 and, from this week’s parashah, Genesis 1:29-30.  In the verses from Genesis 1, we learn that, prior to the Fall, all the animals – lions included, to answer Leah’s question – did not eat meat, just as humans did not until after the Flood, as we learn in Genesis 9.        

 Rabbi Saul expands on the consequences of Adam’s partaking of the forbidden fruit in Romans 5:12.  There, he writes, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”           

Genesis 3 lets us know that the Fall changed everything, including the ground itself being cursed, as we read in Genesis 3:17.  We enjoy the beauty we see in the world God gave us – flowers, forests, rivers, mountains, and, for Leah, sheep.  However, we are also appalled by the indications of the curse – earthquakes, volcanoes, tornadoes, plagues, famines, and majestic animals which are also deadly.         

While it is categorically impossible for any of us to bring such astounding consequences as the Fall did by our decisions, we learn an important lesson from the devastating results of the Fall.  Our actions have consequences.  While our society has attempted to disconnect character and destiny, how we live and the decisions we make inevitably impact the trajectory of our lives – and, from a Biblical perspective, our eternity.         

Just as the Fall affects us all, our own conduct does not just affect us, but those around us.  A liar deceives his hearers.  A blasphemer brings perceived dishonor to God Himself.  A thief deprives others of personal property.  An adulterer hurts his wife and children.  Similarly, a truthful person cultivates meaningful, trusting relationships.  One who holds the Lord in high esteem in word and deed causes others to see just what an impact God can have on a person’s life.  A generous person benefits those around her.  And a person who is faithful to his or her spouse exemplifies the relationship between Messiah and His people, as we learn in Ephesians 5:22-33.         

Every day, we face the temptation of partaking of sin’s forbidden fruit.  In a culture with such a coarsened public morality as our own, such opportunities are ever-present and frequently encouraged.  However, we are social beings, and what we do affects those nearest and dearest to us.           

The highest reason for us to obey God is because we love Him.  However, He has designed our world in such a way that sin will cause troubles for us and others as well.  As such, Biblical morality – doing things God’s way – not only pleases Him, but also benefits us and those around us.