Bereishit - 5776

Genesis 1:1 - 6:8

​The rabbis say that one should not ask about what happened before “In the Beginning …” Then, they go on to offer multiple answers! In the classic anthology of midrash, Bereishit Rabbah (1:4), we read: “Six things preceded the creation of the world. Some were actually created, and others came up only in God’s thought as what was to be created. Torah and the throne of glory were created. The creation of the fathers [and mothers], Israel, the Temple and the name of the Messiah came up only in God’s thought …” As we begin the Torah again this Shabbat with Bereishit, we might ask ourselves how we plan to build on the holidays that are now behind us. We have a New Year, a new beginning, and yet, before we can really create whatever we have chosen to make of this year, we should also engage in a time of planning, and of developing the tools we need for success. Let’s learn from our Creator and take the time now, each in our own ways, to articulate our goals for the year, the steps we will need to take to reach them, the things we may need to overcome, and what it will all look like when we succeed. After all, if it’s good enough for God, it’s probably good enough for us.