God’s Gift of Nature

In preparation for a holiday weekend, I send this message.  I received it from my teacher, Rabbi Haim Ovadia, from whom I learn daily.  Rabbi Ovadia wrote:

An article in the recent issue of National Geographic discusses the benefits of being in a natural setting.

 http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/call-to-wild-text

Even thirty minutes can significantly reduce stress, and a couple of days can do wonders. The first two things which came to my mind when reading the article were America’s “I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name”, and King David’s Psalm 104. As the beautiful verses of Tanakh (Bible) which speak of the magnificent creation attest, when we wander into nature, we also get closer to God and to our inner spirituality. Nature is God’s gift to us and we should protect it, respect it, and learn to benefit from it.

May you have a week of blessings and a Shabbat of rest and peace.

Rabbi Debbie Israel