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B’reishit – בְּרֵאשִׁית (Genesis 1:1−6:8)
/in Torah TidbitThis Week’s Torah Portion: B’reishit – בְּרֵאשִׁית (Genesis 1:1−6:8)
וַיַּ֤רְא אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֔ה וְהִנֵּה־ט֖וֹב מְאֹ֑ד וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם הַשִּׁשִּֽׁי׃
Then God saw all that had been made, and beheld how deeply beautiful it was. There was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day. (Genesis 1:31).
For the first five “days” of creation, God finds beauty and goodness in light, darkness, planets, plants, and animals. It isn’t until the sixth day, after humanity is created in the Divine Image, that God sees deep beauty and goodness in the world. May we all remember that the world is a more beautiful place just because we are in it, and that it is our responsibility to share our beauty and goodness.
Parsha B’reishit – בְּרֵאשִׁית Torah Summary:
God creates the world and everything in it in six days and rests on the seventh. (1:1-2:3) Adam and Eve are placed in the Garden of Eden, where they eat the forbidden fruit and are subsequently exiled. (2:15-3:24) Adam and Eve have two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain kills his brother, Abel. (4:1-24) Adam and Eve have another child named Seth. The Torah lists the ten generations from Adam to Noah. (4:25-5:32) God regrets having created human beings and decides to destroy everything on earth, but Noah finds favor with God. (6:5-6:8) B’reishit – בְּרֵאשִׁית וַיַּ֤רְא אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֔ה וְהִנֵּה־ט֖וֹב מְאֹ֑ד וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם הַשִּׁשִּֽׁי׃ Then God saw all that had been made, and beheld how deeply beautiful it was. There was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day. (Genesis 1:31). For the first five “days” of creation, God finds beauty and goodness in light, darkness, planets, plants, and animals. It isn’t until the sixth day, after humanity is created in the Divine Image, that God sees deep beauty and goodness in the world. May we all remember that the world is a more beautiful place just because we are in it, and that it is our responsibility to share our beauty and goodness. B’reishit – בְּרֵאשִׁיתSimchat Torah – שִׂמחַת תוֹרָה (Deuteronomy 33:1–34:12, Genesis 1:1–2:3, Numbers 29:35-30:1)
/in Torah TidbitThis Week’s Torah Portion: Simchat Torah – שִׂמחַת תוֹרָה (Deuteronomy 33:1–34:12, Genesis 1:1–2:3, Numbers 29:35-30:1)
וְלֹא־קָ֨ם נָבִ֥יא ע֛וֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כְּמֹשֶׁ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֙ יְדָע֣וֹ יְהֹוָ֔ה פָּנִ֖ים אֶל־פָּנִֽים׃
Never again did another prophet arise like Moses, in all of Israel, whom Adonai knew face to face. (Deuteronomy 34:10).
The Torah ends by celebrating Moses’ intimate relationship with God. Earlier in the Torah, the rest of the Israelites were afforded the same opportunity, but were too filled with fear to accept. In our generation, it is my prayer that each of us can gather the courage of Moses, to take the daring step to know God, face to face.
Parsha Simchat Torah – שִׂמחַת תוֹרָה Summary:
On Simchat Torah, the day on which we literally celebrate the Torah, we read the very end of Deuteronomy and the very beginning of Genesis. In the final verses of Torah, we read Moses’ blessing of the Israelites, offered before the prophet dies. Moses then ascends Mount Nebo, from which he sees the Promised Land and takes his final breath. God buries Moses and we are told there will never be another prophet like him. From this passage, we immediately begin our new cycle of Torah reading with the story of creation from the beginning of Genesis. And we create a new year of studying Torah. While each year we return to the same verses, it is we who are different. With each passing year, we grow and change, celebrate and mourn. And it is as if we are reading these sacred words for the very first time. וְלֹא־קָ֨ם נָבִ֥יא ע֛וֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כְּמֹשֶׁ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֙ יְדָע֣וֹ יְהֹוָ֔ה פָּנִ֖ים אֶל־פָּנִֽים׃ Never again did another prophet arise like Moses, in all of Israel, whom Adonai knew face to face. (Deuteronomy 34:10). The Torah ends by celebrating Moses’ intimate relationship with God. Earlier in the Torah, the rest of the Israelites were afforded the same opportunity, but were too filled with fear to accept. In our generation, it is my prayer that each of us can gather the courage of Moses, to take the daring step to know God, face to face.First Day of Sukkot – יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל סֻכֹּת (Leviticus 23:33-44)
/in Torah TidbitThis Week’s Torah Portion: First Day of Sukkot – יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל סֻכֹּת (Leviticus 23:33-44)
וּבַחֲמִשָּׁה֩ עָשָׂ֨ר י֜וֹם לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י מִֽקְרָא־קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם כׇּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֑וּ וְחַגֹּתֶ֥ם חַ֛ג לַיהֹוָ֖ה שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃
The fifteenth day of the seventh month shall be called sacred for you: you shall not work at your occupations. You shall celebrate a festival of Adonai for seven days. (Numbers 29:12).
Sukkot is a beautiful reminder to slow down after the rush of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Before we can celebrate the completion of our annual Torah cycle, we are invited to take a breath and sit in gratitude for all that has been, and for all that can be in our lives.
Parsha First Day of Sukkot – יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל סֻכֹּת Summary:
In these verses, we are instructed to observe the festival of Sukkot for seven days. The first of the seven days is a sacred day, one on which we refrain from work. Our ancestors brought sacrifices to the Temple on each of the days and lived in a booth. Why would we be expected to dwell in a fragile booth, exposed to the elements? Perhaps it is so that we do not take our possessions for granted. Anyone who has experienced a hurricane or a fire in their home knows just how fragile our dwellings really are. We are told of the lulav and the etrog and we are commanded to rejoice on each of the seven days. How wonderful to be commanded to celebrate! First Day of Sukkot – יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל סֻכֹּת וּבַחֲמִשָּׁה֩ עָשָׂ֨ר י֜וֹם לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י מִֽקְרָא־קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם כׇּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֑וּ וְחַגֹּתֶ֥ם חַ֛ג לַיהֹוָ֖ה שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃ The fifteenth day of the seventh month shall be called sacred for you: you shall not work at your occupations. You shall celebrate a festival of Adonai for seven days. (Numbers 29:12). Sukkot is a beautiful reminder to slow down after the rush of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Before we can celebrate the completion of our annual Torah cycle, we are invited to take a breath and sit in gratitude for all that has been, and for all that can be in our lives.Haazinu – הַאֲזִינוּ (Deuteronomy 32:1–52)
/in Torah TidbitThis Week’s Torah Portion: Haazinu – הַאֲזִינוּ (Deuteronomy 32:1–52)
יַעֲרֹ֤ף כַּמָּטָר֙ לִקְחִ֔י תִּזַּ֥ל כַּטַּ֖ל אִמְרָתִ֑י כִּשְׂעִירִ֣ם עֲלֵי־דֶ֔שֶׁא וְכִרְבִיבִ֖ים עֲלֵי־עֵֽשֶׂב׃
May my teaching come down like rain, my speech drop like dew, like showers on seed sprouts, like droplets upon the grass. (Deuteronomy 32:2).
When Moses calls out to the heavens, the first thing that he asks is for his teachings to fall like rain. On this Sabbath of returning home to ourselves, may we have the wisdom to share the values within our Torah, providing nourishing rain to a parched world.
Parsha Haazinu – הַאֲזִינוּ Torah Summary:
Moses sings his last song, a love poem to God and a chastisement of the people, who are not worthy of Adonai. (32:1–6) The poem recounts the blessings that God has bestowed on the Israelites, the wicked deeds they have committed, and the punishments that God then inflicted upon them. (32:7–43) God tells Moses to begin his ascent of Mount Nebo, from where he will see the Land of Israel from a distance but will not be allowed to enter it. (32:45–52) Haazinu – הַאֲזִינוּ יַעֲרֹ֤ף כַּמָּטָר֙ לִקְחִ֔י תִּזַּ֥ל כַּטַּ֖ל אִמְרָתִ֑י כִּשְׂעִירִ֣ם עֲלֵי־דֶ֔שֶׁא וְכִרְבִיבִ֖ים עֲלֵי־עֵֽשֶׂב׃ May my teaching come down like rain, my speech drop like dew, like showers on seed sprouts, like droplets upon the grass. (Deuteronomy 32:2). When Moses calls out to the heavens, the first thing that he asks is for his teachings to fall like rain. On this Sabbath of returning home to ourselves, may we have the wisdom to share the values within our Torah, providing nourishing rain to a parched world.