Thesis
Biblical Botany: How might our spiritual worldview change if we de-centered the human role in the biblical narrative and instead saw its stories as a dynamic dance between God, people, and plants as equal players? Heather's rabbinic thesis offers an exegesis of the biblical text through the eyes of the plant partnerships that drive its plot
From the earliest chapters of Tanakh we learn that humanity lives in deep relationship with the natural world. The presence of plant life is diffuse throughout the biblical canon, appearing quietly in the details of our texts as hidden-in-plain-sight reminders that even our most critical covenantal moments are part of broader ecosystems. From trees to fruits to herbs and oils, the natural world both frames the setting of our sacred texts and also plays an active role in moments of ritual, revelation, transition, and healing. Throughout the centuries, these plants have accompanied the Jewish people in every land they found themselves dwelling within. Stewards of plant wisdom continued to use these resources along with others they discovered in their new lands for rituals, protection rites, and healing, tending the sacred bond between Jewish practice and the natural world for millennia. My thesis studies explore the intersection of Jewish healing and plant-wisdom, examining plants in Jewish sacred texts, folk traditions for herbal healing in the Jewish home, and contemporary Jewish herbalism practices for spiritual healing.
