Sermon – Eco Shabbat: May we not be destroyed by Fire and Brimstone

Written by Rabbi Hannah Kingston — 14 November 2022

Archaeologists have over the past 15 years been excavating an archaeological site called Tall el-Hamman. They have found there far more than a small ivory comb, the likes of which Rabbi Josh spoke about last night. And their findings, like the discovery of the comb, also add a layer to a place with a long and complex history into which we as Jews are bound.

 

Located in the Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea, many believe the site of Tall el-Hamman was once known as Sodom. This site, supposedly destroyed by fire and brimstone sent as divine punishment, was in fact destroyed by an extremely hot, explosive event which levelled an area of almost 200 square miles.

 

The archaeological evidence shows that it took at least six centuries for the region to recover, due to the contamination and destruction of the soil. The research theorises that the intense shockwaves from the impact may have covered the area with super heated Dead Sea salts, as referenced in the book of Deuteronomy, which states that sulphur and salt burned up the entire land so that not even grass would grow there.

 

The archaeological findings and modelling of the cosmic airburst give us a good explanation for the destruction of Sodom, which we read about in parashat vayeira, just after our Torah portion today. This potential meteorological impact was not influenced by human activity. Meteor showers are caused by comets shedding dust and debris that enters the Earth’s upper atmosphere, heating up upon entry due to friction from the air.

 

 

However, the narrative we read in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah tells us that it was the human interactions that caused the destruction of Sodom. That God was so dismayed by the outcry of the people that the city, and its inhabitants, were to be no more.

 

Now the archaeological studies cannot tell us whether the comet that collided with Sodom was divinely ordered. But though the event was outside of human control, the Torah narrative pins it on our actions as a moral warning to us.

 

Although we cannot control all of the events that happen in our world, although we may feel that we have a miniscule influence in the day-to-day life of our planet, our actions do have an impact. And therefore it is our responsibility to change our actions for the good of our world, or we too may see cities destroyed.

 

The month of November sees the 27th Conference of the Parties hosted in Egypt, with a view to bringing stakeholders together to effectively tackle the global challenge of climate change. This year COP27 has made the statement that they hope this conference of parties will be a turning point in our action on climate change.

 

There is a drive for the parties represented to take on the climate challenge through concerted, collaborative and impactful action, with agreements and pledges being translated to projects and programmes.

 

 

There is a focus on working together as one international community for the common good of our shared planet and humanity and especially encouraging wealthier nations to come good on their promise of financial aid to help the developing world tackle climate change.

 

The UN have warned that the world is heading towards catastrophe, with the last eight years being the hottest on record worldwide.

 

For us in the UK, it seems there is a rising awareness of climate change, encouraged by the younger generations. We have seen the effects of extreme weather over the past few months, with record breaking temperatures over the summer leading to forest fires and an imposition of hosepipe bans. Followed by torrential rain  leading to rain and flood warnings across the country.

 

Yet the global energy crisis has led the UK to back-track on commitments to end new oil and gas extraction in the North Sea and close down coal-powered stations, sending out the wrong signal – that we are not concerned about our commitment to lowering the emissions of greenhouse gases.

 

Our Torah portion serves as a reminder to us. That although the extra trip we take, or the food choices we make, or our reluctance to recycle, will not directly lead to the destruction of our planet, every interaction we have contributes to the future of our world.

 

The story of the destruction of Sodom is reminiscent of that of Noah’s flood that we read just a few weeks ago. The Torah uses similar terms to describe the actions of the people, textually inferring that comparable moral conditions existed in both instances.

 

The story itself suggests that the Sodomites were more intent in fulfilling their bodily desires than looking out for others. The prophet Ezekiel later describes the sins of Sodom in social terms: ‘pride, fullness of bread and careless ease.’ It was a city known to be rich, described ‘like a divine Garden’ and yet it was full of inhospitality, with the people only caring about themselves.

 

As we read this today, as COP27 continues, we must not be like the Sodomites, putting our own needs and desires at the forefront of our actions. Rather we must act for the good of others and future generations. For if we, as a richer more developed nation, do not look out for others in the climate crisis, we will all face the consequences…

 

This Shabbat is EcoShabbat, a Shabbat dedicated to engaging in this crucial topic. Marked across four denominations of Judaism, it presents us with an opportunity to show our support for the COP27 conference and to recommit ourselves to making small shifts within our communities that will help to make a difference in the world.

 

And the reality is that Eco Shabbat is not enough. One week, dedicated to thinking about are environmental footprint will not make a difference. But it is a start, a step in the right direction, towards conscious decisions and behavioural changes.

 

This Shabbat reminds us as a community that we need to recommit to our pledge to work together with a team of people to embed more environmentally friendly practices in our synagogue lives.

 

And this parasha reminds us as Jews that we should not use the fire and brimstone, and other events outside our control as an excuse to not put in the work.

 

As our haftarah said, a child shall not share the burden of a parent’s guilt. We do not want our world, like the city of Sodom, to take six centuries to recover. We need to work now to remove the burden of suffering from future generations.

 

On this Eco Shabbat, may we know that we each hold the power to make a difference, by  making small shifts individually, being a dugma, an example to those around us. May we strive to adopt more environmentally friendly practices as individuals and as a community, so that our young people can grow up knowing that we tried. And may we commit to acting now, so that we can make the world a better place for future generations.