{"id":38228,"date":"2017-09-01T13:14:24","date_gmt":"2017-09-01T19:14:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=38228"},"modified":"2017-09-01T13:14:24","modified_gmt":"2017-09-01T19:14:24","slug":"off-the-pulpit-who-made-that","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/off-the-pulpit-who-made-that\/","title":{"rendered":"Off the Pulpit: Who made that?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By RABBI DAVID WOLPE<\/p>\n

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The scientist says, \u201cLook, God. You were good in your day but we can do everything ourselves now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d says God.\u00a0\u201cYou can make a human being from dust?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely\u201d say the scientists.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me see\u201d answers God.<\/p>\n

The scientist reaches down to scoop up some soil, but is interrupted.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh no\u201d says God.\u00a0\u201cYou get your own dust.\u201d<\/p>\n

Human beings have learned a remarkable amount about manipulating the world. But the risk of hubris remains. Too often we treat the world not as a gift but as a birthright. It is easy to imagine we know how to stretch the world to our whims and wishes without consequence.<\/p>\n

The Rabbis explain that God told the first inhabitants of the garden \u2014 \u201cIf you destroy My world, there will be no one to repair it after you.\u201d\u00a0Our weaponry and our technology are powerful beyond what our ancestors dreamed. We would be wise to remember we are still playing with God\u2019s dust.
\n
\n(Rabbi David Wolpe is the spiritual leader of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles.)<\/em><\/p>\n

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