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"Fresh"
Water
Why Water Is One Connected System
Fresh Water & Ocean Health
When we talk about protecting the ocean, we must also talk about fresh water.
Rivers, lakes, wetlands, groundwater, rain—these are not separate from the sea. They are part of one continuous water system, known as the Hydrological or Water Cycle. What flows through our communities eventually flows into the ocean.
If we want a healthy ocean, we must protect fresh water too.
In Jewish tradition, water is sacred. From the water of Creation to the crossing of the Red Sea, water represents life, renewal, and divine presence. The Torah speaks of Mayim Chayim — living water. Sefer HaBahir (126), an ancient Kabbalistic text, goes so far as to say that the reflection of the Divine in our world is "the Life of Water.
Fresh water and ocean water are not separate systems. The rain that falls on our communities flows into streams and rivers, carrying with it everything we place on the land — chemicals, fertilizers, plastics, and waste. Eventually, it reaches the sea. There is no “away.” What begins upstream shapes the health of the ocean.
When pollution enters rivers, it harms marine life, fuels destructive algal blooms, and creates dead zones where where no life can survive. Overuse of freshwater sources weakens estuaries and coastal ecosystems. Most of the plastic found in the ocean begins its journey on land. The condition of the sea reflects the choices we make far from the shoreline.
Judaism teaches that God (however you understand that) created the World. We humans, are not the owners of creation. We are stewards of creation. We are not apart from nature. We are part of nature.
Protecting water — from aquifers to the open ocean — is an expression of Bal Tashchit, the sacred obligation not to waste or destroy. When we safeguard fresh water, we safeguard the sea. When we honor water as sacred, we honor the Creator. Caring for rivers, lakes, aquafers and the ocean is part of our shared work of Tikkun Olam — repairing and protecting this precious world.