Eco Torah
A New Environmental Reading of Genesis and Exodus
What can the Bible tell us about ecology? As we face huge environmental challenges—including more frequent and intense hurricanes, floods, and forest fires, and widespread plastic pollution—Eco Bible shows how the Torah itself and its great rabbinic scholars embrace care for God’s creation as a fundamental and living message.
Spirituality and Science Together for a More Sustainable Future
In Eco Bible volumes 1 and 2, Rabbi Yonatan Neril & Rabbi Leo Dee have brought together over three millennia of religious wisdom and contemporary scientific thought regarding human health, biodiversity, and clean air, land, and water.
“Eco Bible provides us with an invaluable resource and inspiration drawn from a vast cross section of Jewish sources and commentaries, to enable us to live up to the Biblical mandate to love the Creator and His Creation,” said Rabbi David Rosen KSG CBE, AJC International Director of Interreligious Affairs.
Eco Bible is available for delivery within Israel via JBC Books and in a number of bookstores in Jerusalem, including Pomeranz Books (Be’eri St.#5 near King George St.), Katamon Books (HaPalmach St. 45), Sefer Vesefel (Ya’avets St. 2, near Jaffa Center train stop), Holtzer Books (Jaffa St. 91, near Davidka), Mayer Books (Shlomtzion Hamalka 6, next to Kadosh), and Dani Books (Even Yisra’el St. 3, near King George and Jaffa St.)
The two volumes are: Eco Bible: Volume One: An Ecological Commentary on Genesis and Exodus, and Eco Bible: Volume Two: An Ecological Commentary on Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Structured to Fit Your Daily Studies
Through commentaries on the Torah that fit perfectly with your daily study, Eco Bible reveals a spiritually grounded vision for both long-term sustainability and immediate environmental mindfulness and action.
By linking faith and science, the book connects millennia of religious wisdom with contemporary scientific thought regarding human health, biodiversity, and clean air, land, and water. Eco Bible reveals what Rabbi Shlomo ben Aderet calls “the ever-increasing number of fresh understandings of the Bible’s verses,” quoting more than 100 rabbis from Biblical times to now. Before this, their ecological insights on the Torah could only be found scattered across hundreds of books.
What Readers Are Saying About Eco Bible
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Action Items to Live In Accordance with God’s Creation
Each section ends with suggested action items for fulfilling the blessing of all life, for changing course to preserve God’s creation, and for sustaining human life in harmony with nature and all of God’s creatures.
Applying the teachings of the Torah to stewardship of God’s creation is not just an idea for today, but essential for a future in which we achieve a balanced, worldwide ecosystem and thrive on a planet viable for all life.
Publishers Weekly calls the book “an insightful analysis… which will inspire contemplation on how to live in harmony with nature and the power of conservation. Ecologically minded readers interested in the Hebrew Bible will love this.”
An Essential Resource for a Sustainable World
Eco Bible is your guide to creating a more sustainable life in pursuit of recreating paradise here on earth.
Volume 1 explores Genesis and Exodus, and Volume 2 (2021) explores Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, altogether covering 450 verses in the Five Books of Moses/Pentateuch/Old Testament.
Perfect for Individual or Group Practice
This book contains the knowledge and tools you need to:
- Eat a more sustainable diet
- Protect animal and human rights
- Locally source your food and clothing
- Reduce your carbon footprint
- Act with intent to live a healthier lifestyle that uplifts you and your community
- And, ultimately, redirect our world away from ecological disaster
Click here to purchase Eco Bible on Amazon, or visit this page to contact The Interfaith Centre for Sustainable Development to order in bulk for your study groups and book clubs and receive a 10% discount.
GET ACCESS TO ECO BIBLE CHAPTER ONE
Eco Bible is being published in collaboration with Canfei Nesharim, a branch of Grow Torah, and Grow Torah.
Click here to see a sample of the Eco Torah from the Torah portion of Beshalach.
Download this short presentation on the Eco Torah.
We have also created short videos for the parsha.