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a
step-by-step course on Jewish spiritual teachings
about nature, the environment, the earth, the heavens
and humanity's role of responsibility for the
welfare of the entire Universe.
To
start the course now, click HERE!!!
The House
on the Mountain consists of an Introduction, "In
the beginning..." followed by three main parts:
"The Mountain", "The Field" and
"The House". Each of these three main parts
is centered on a major facet of man's relationship with
nature and each is associated with one of the three
biblical founding fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Each part of the course consists of a number of individual
segments presenting authentic sources from the Bible,
Talmud, Midrash, Kabbalah and Chassidut in English translation
together with discussion and commentary.
Why
the "Mountain", the "Field" and
the "House"?
A mountain
is a purely natural phenomenon. The "mountain"
therefore represents "raw nature", the God-given
natural environment in which we find ourselves. At the
opposite extreme is the "house", a structure
made entirely by man, albeit with materials all of which
ultimately derive from nature. Intermediate between
the God-given natural "mountain" and the man-made
"house" stands the "field" -- land
or some other natural resource that man has to work
and manipulate in order to produce his food and other
needs.
In the
contemporary world, the "house" -- symbolizing
the man-made urban civilization in which we live --
is seriously out of harmony with the wider natural environment.
Present-day patterns of production and consumption are
causing appalling damage to the environment.
But the
Torah teaches that this can be rectified and that mankind
will attain a new and lasting harmony with nature just
as soon as we realize that the key lies in constructing
the Sacred House, namely the Temple of God in Jerusalem.
The Talmud
tells us that the three founding fathers, Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob, were all engaged in laying the foundations
for this Temple. Each made his own unique contribution
-- and conceived it in a different way: Abraham as a
"Mountain"; Isaac as a "Field" and
Jacob as a "House". And it is as a "House"
that it is destined to be built in Jerusalem in the
near future.
Said
Rabbi Elazar: What does Isaiah mean when he says, "And
many peoples will go and say, 'Come let us go up to
the Mountain of God to the House of the God of Jacob!'"
? Why the God of Jacob and not the God of Abraham and
Isaac? The answer is: Not like Abraham, who saw it as
a Mountain ("as it is
said this day, On the Mountain
HaVaYaH is seen" -- Genesis 22:14). And
not like Isaac, for whom it was a Field
("And Isaac went out to meditate in the
Field" -- Genesis
24:63). But like Jacob, who called it a House:
"And he called the name of that place Beth El,
the House of God" (Genesis 28:19).
(Pesachim 88a. See "In
the beginning..." for further discussion)
If you
wish to make a serious study of the materials offered
in this course, it is best to study each segment of
the course in sequence. To do so, start with "Dreaming
the Dream". Each of the individual segments
of the course is on a page of its own. At the end of
each page, click on the TREE
image to go to the next page. If you wish to review
a particular course segment without having to follow
a whole chain of links from page to page, consult the
Full
Contents in order to find a direct link.
If you
prefer to browse individual course segments out of sequence,
you are welcome to do so. Use the Full
Contents to find what interests you.
Do you
know others who would enjoy the materials presented
here but do not have access to the Internet? Please
feel free to print out and give them materials from
The House on the Mountain. This course is provided without
charge as a public service.
Dreaming
the dream: where Heaven and Earth Kiss
Look
up at the Sky
The
First Lesson
In
the Beginning: Introduction
The course
was been devised and produced by Avraham ben Yaakov.
With
grateful thanks to David Heller for your inspiration
and munificent support for this project, and to Rita
Ennis and Neil & Susan Rosen for making it possible
to put it on the Internet.
CLICK
ON THE TREE TO START THE COURSE
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