In Talmud Bavli (Babylonian Talmud) we read:
 
“Adam was created alone, to teach you that anyone who destroys one soul from Israel [the Jewish people], scripture looks upon him as if he de- stroyed an entire world.  And anyone who sustains one soul from Israel, scripture looks upon him as if he sustained an entire world. And [this, Adam’s singular creation, was for] peace among living beings, so a person will not say to his fellow: [My] father is greater than your father...Therefore, [since all humanity has one progenitor], each and every person is obligated to say: The world was created for my sake.”

In these few lines of Talmud (Sanhedrin 4:5) we encounter some of the most inspiring and most challenging ideas in our tradition. The common descent of all humanity from one mythic ancestor is a story that should inspire unity, as all human beings are related to one another, either as members of our extended families or as very distant cousins. This is a beautiful thought, not inconsistent with the contemporary genetic evidence that we are all descended from Mitochondrial Eve. (https:// www.livescience.com/mitochondrial-eve-first-human-homeland.html)

 
As the pandemic drove us into our homes for shelter, it also has driven home the awareness of just how interconnected all 7.7 billion of us are in terms of health and happiness. The virus knows no borders, nor does climate despair that afflicts young people all over the world. As President Biden has pointed out, we are at an inflection point in human history. We have no choice but to act boldly. At first glance you might think that by saying, “The world was created for my sake,” a person would act selfishly. But the Talmud assumes that the realization of one’s own worth and the great gift of participating in this extraordinary experiment of life on earth  engender a spirit of gratitude and aweto guide each of us in the right direction. This would surely lead to care for the planet and peace be- tween people, two goals that we are learning to see as intrinsically intertwined and inseparable. Yasher koach for the wisdom of the Talmudic sages who gave us this teaching.

But while we have this universally inspiring idea of equity among people, we must wrestle with the particularity of the wording regarding anyone who destroys or sustains “one soul from the Jewish people -” לארשימ תחא שפנ  There is no way around this teaching that, from the Jewish point of view, Jewish lives are of paramount value. Undoubtedly this intra-group priority has kept the Jewish people alive through centuries of persecution, but how do we feel about it now? Is it time to omit “from the Jewish people” from the teaching and generalize the precept to include all of humanity, all b’nei adam, all children of Adam?

This is just what the sages of the Yerushalmi (Jerusalem) Talmud did. This earlier version of Tal- mud is also known as the Palestinian, and perhaps more correctly called Talmuda de-Eretz Yisrael, Talmud of the Land of Israel, because little was composed in Jerusalem. Material was gathered from Jewish centers of learning throughout the land and compiled in the Galilee in the 4th century of the Common Era. The authors were leaders of the struggling Jewish community living under increasing oppression as the Roman Empire embraced Christianity. The Yerushalmi sages opined: “Whoever destroys one soul, scripture looks upon him as if he destroyed and entire world. And whoever saves one soul, scripture looks upon him as if he had saved an entire world.” (Sanhedrin 4:1 - 22a)

אלמ םלוע םייַ וליאָ וילע םילעמ ,תחא שפנ םייַמה לָו ;אלמ םלוע דביא וליאָ וילע םילעמ ,תחא שפנ דבאמה לָש

About 150 years later, the Babylonian Talmud was completed with the wording “one soul from Israel,” clearly indicating that this teaching applies specifically to Jewish lives. Talmud Bavli is more complete, better organized and traditionally supersedes its older cousin, the Bavli.  Many years ago, I had a deep conversation with my Israeli colleague Rabbi Nomi Oren, z’l’. I lamented my lack of Talmud skills.  Rabbi Nomi responded that although tradition emphasizes the Bavli, in her opinion the Yerushalmi has the most interesting and important material. Sadly, we never met again before she died, and I did not have the opportunity to ask her to elaborate.
 
In contrast to the small, oppressed population under Roman rule, the large Jewish community in Babylonia enjoyed significant autonomy and prosperity; learning and literature flourished. Here in America in 2021, we find ourselves living in relative safety and prosperity in the Diaspora, connected to the Land of Israel by diverse ties: religious, cultural, familial and political. Which version of the Tal- mud teaching resonates with us? How do we honor them both? Traditionally they are not viewed as conflicting, rather the Yerushalmi is more general (all people), and the Bavli more specific (all Jews). We have the privilege of studying both versions and considering both viewpoints. I do fear for those who study only the Bavli, which could be (mis)read to perniciously suggest that Jewish lives are more valuable than the lives of others.
 
This is my lengthy introduction to my words of praise and gratitude for our Board of Directors who have steered a clear course through the pandemic with measures intended to save lives.  Just recently we celebrated a hybrid bat mitzvah for Ayla Weiss with a small number of family members present in masks, and many congregants and guests on Zoom. It was lovely! I applaud the family for making the best of a difficult situation and bring such beautiful ruach (spirit) into the building! As I write this article, I am looking forward to another hybrid simcha for Joey Hodges later this week. Mazal tov to these wonderful students and their families! This week we will also observe the first yahrzeit of our dear Bob Berman who was among the first Humboldt County residents struck down by Covid. I am so grateful that no one else has been taken from us by this cruel virus, nor have any lives been put in danger by Temple Beth El activities. For that we can thank the Board of Directors, our Tefilah Leaders, our committee chairs, and our office administrator, Blue. All of them have worked diligently to keep our programming going despite the limitations of the pandemic. Calyah Chanah (Caroline Isaacs) has continued to teach our b’nai mitzvah students by Zoom; Rabbi Bob and his wife, Suzanne, have led beautiful Torah services on Zoom.
 
As we move through the Counting of the Omer, toward Shavuos, we were shocked to learn of the terrible loss of forty-five lives and scores of injuries when a stampede broke out in a huge Lag B’Omer celebration in the Galilee. Although the authorities had warned against the large gathering for fear of Covid transmission, over one hundred thousand people gathered for the traditional bonfires, singing and dancing in Meron at the tomb of the second century sage Shimon bar Yochai. The huge celebration turned into a national tragedy. Our hearts ache for the grieving families of the victims and those in critical condition struggling for their lives. The disaster is a stark reminder that no religious gathering, no pilgrimage, no rite of passage should be undertaken in life-threatening circumstances. In the Book of Vayikra (Leviticus) we read, "You shall keep My statutes and My laws, which a person shall do and shall live by them; I am HaShem.” (18:5)

From this comes the Talmudic dictum that we must live by them, and not die by them. (Yoma 85b) And from this, the rabbis derived the principle of pikuach nefesh – שפנ חוַפ - preservation of life, which takes precedence over all other obligations. This year it has been moving to hear people all over the world speaking of the urgent need to preserve life, both by protecting one another from infection, by protesting deadly violence in our communities, and by confronting the climate crisis that threatens life on earth as we know it.

We are still wandering in the wilderness of the pandemic. We do not know when we will get to the Promised Land of normalcy. But just like the ancient Children of Israel, we are learning important lessons along the way.

B’shalom ~ In peace,

Rabbi Naomi