For God's Lake: Nature in Judaism

ברוך אתה ה' אלהינו מלך העולם, שככה לו בעולמו.

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam, shekacha lo beolamo

Blessing for Wonders of Nature

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has such [beauty] in his universe.

Auguries of Innocence, William Blake

To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower

(ו) יִשְׁלָ֤יוּ אֹֽהָלִ֨ים ׀ לְשֹׁ֥דְדִ֗ים וּֽ֭בַטֻּחוֹת לְמַרְגִּ֣יזֵי אֵ֑ל לַאֲשֶׁ֤ר הֵבִ֖יא אֱל֣וֹהַּ בְּיָדֽוֹ׃ (ז) וְֽאוּלָ֗ם שְׁאַל־נָ֣א בְהֵמ֣וֹת וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וְע֥וֹף הַ֝שָּׁמַ֗יִם וְיַגֶּד־לָֽךְ׃ (ח) א֤וֹ שִׂ֣יחַ לָאָ֣רֶץ וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וִֽיסַפְּר֥וּ לְ֝ךָ֗ דְּגֵ֣י הַיָּֽם׃ (ט) מִ֭י לֹא־יָדַ֣ע בְּכָל־אֵ֑לֶּה כִּ֥י יַד־יְ֝הוָה עָ֣שְׂתָה זֹּֽאת׃
(6) The tents of robbers prosper, And they that provoke God are secure, In whatsoever God bringeth into their hand. (7) But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; And the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee; (8) Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee; (9) Who knoweth not among all these, That the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?
בשעה שברא הקדוש ברוך הוא את אדם הראשון, נטלו והחזירו על כל אילני גן עדן, ואמר לו: ראה מעשי כמה נאים ומשובחין הן, וכל מה שבראתי, בשבילך בראתי, תן דעתך שלא תקלקל ותחריב את עולמי, שאם קלקלת אין מי שיתקן אחריך.

At the time that the Holy One created the first man, He introduced him to every tree in the Garden of Eden, and said to him, ‘See how wonderful and pleasant these trees are. And all of this I have created for you; therefore take great carethat you do not damage and destroy My world, for if you do there is no one else to put right what you have destroyed.’

Nature, Ralph Waldo Emerson

If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore; and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God which had been shown! But every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile.

(יא) יִשְׂמְח֣וּ הַ֭שָּׁמַיִם וְתָגֵ֣ל הָאָ֑רֶץ יִֽרְעַ֥ם הַ֝יָּ֗ם וּמְלֹאֽוֹ׃ (יב) יַעֲלֹ֣ז שָׂ֭דַי וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־בּ֑וֹ אָ֥ז יְ֝רַנְּנ֗וּ כָּל־עֲצֵי־יָֽעַר׃ (יג) לִפְנֵ֤י יְהוָ֨ה ׀ כִּ֬י בָ֗א כִּ֥י בָא֮ לִשְׁפֹּ֪ט הָ֫אָ֥רֶץ יִשְׁפֹּֽט־תֵּבֵ֥ל בְּצֶ֑דֶק וְ֝עַמִּ֗ים בֶּאֱמוּנָתֽוֹ׃

(11) Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; (12) Let the field exult; and all that is therein; Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy; (13) Before the LORD, for He has come; For He has come to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples in His faithfulness.

(ז) רבי שמעון אומר, המהלך בדרך ושונה ומפסיק ממשנתו ואומר, מה נאה אילן זה ומה נאה ניר זה, מעלה עליו הכתוב כאלו מתחיב בנפשו.

(7) Rabbi Shimon says: He who is walking on the way and going over one's learning, and interrupts his learning and says, 'How lovely is this tree! And how lovely is this newly plowed field!' - Scripture considers him as if he is liable for death.