from my readings

"So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." from 1Corinthians

"You can see that erwath dabar means in general something repulsive, something indecent. It’s not a precise phrase. Because of this ambiguity, two different rabbinical schools emerged."--from the TGC

"Once my jars were labeled, I felt contentedly thrilled with myself, as if I had pulled off a wonderful trick. People feel this way when they bake bread or have babies, and although they are perfectly entitled to feel that way, in fact, nature does most of the work."
— Laurie Colwin (More Home Cooking: A Writer Returns to the Kitchen)