Nature & the Environment Quiz

The environment impacts so many aspects of life, from the air we breathe to the water we drink. How much do you know about green issues in Jewish thought and practice?

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Question 1. According to Genesis 1, what did God create on the sixth day?
 Animals
 Humans
 Trees
 Both a & b

 

Question 2. How many shemitah years occur before there is one yovel year?
 1
 4
 7
 15

 

Question 3. According to medieval commentator Don Isaac Abravanel, the Torah emphasizes sustainability through its discussions of which of the following mitzvot?
 Shabbat
 Dietary laws
 Shooing a mother bird away when taking her eggs
 Not wearing clothing with linen and wool mixed together

 

Question 4. What is the traditional Jewish theological understanding of humanity’s relationship with the earth?
 The heavens are for God and the earth was set aside for humanity, so we can do with it whatever we want
 God gives careful instructions about what parts of the environment we are free to do with as we wish, and which are to be dedicated to His glory
 To the extent that the forces of nature can be harnessed, it is the job of humanity to be the stewards of the world, and to act on behalf of God
 Each person's relationship to the environment is determined by God, and it is each person's responsibility to seek out the appropriate balance

 

Question 5. Contemporary Jewish thinkers have drawn on Jewish texts to address which of these issues?
 Biodiversity
 Sustainable development
 Genetic Engineering
 A & B only
 All of these

 

Question 6. The word "jubilee" comes from the Hebrew word "yovel," meaning what?
 Rest
 Happiness
 Farming
 Ram's Horn

 

Question 7. What is the name for the prohibition of unnecessary cruelty to animals?
 Tzaar baalei hayim
 Shatnez
 Im tirzu ein zo agada
 Gam zu l'tova

 

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