Nature is back! As human beings have retreated into our “caves,” the bears and bobcats are out in Yosemite, the birds are nesting around our local beaches, whales are even coming closer to shore as the din of powerboats fades. The poppies are exploding with color in the desert and the hillsides of the Santa Monica mountains are alive with the flowers of spring. There’s even a startling blue fluorescent light that emanates from our local beaches at night with each crashing wave.
As the restrictions on our mobility are lifted, make sure that you (safely) take in some of the natural beauty that surrounds us. Then take a moment to reflect on what it takes for that natural beauty to appear: We have to step back and let nature take over. Jewish tradition has long held on to the idea that our world reveals the wonder of God’s presence to us daily. Our holidays are set based on the seasons and the moon, we incorporate natural symbols into our observance, and even the Psalms of praise we offer invoke the beauty of natural vistas.
You’ve spent weeks discovering that you can get by with less: less consumption, less driving, a smaller footprint. You’ve been a part of making just a bit more room for the natural world, can you preserve some of that personal contraction that has given nature the space to flourish?
— Rabbi Ron Stern