Overview of the Weekly Reading: Bereishit
To be read on 24 Tishrei 5765 (Oct. 9)
Torah: Genesis 1:1-6:8;
Haftorah: Isaiah 42:5-43:10
Bereishit is the 1st Reading out of 12 in Genesis
and 1st overall, and 9th out of 54 in overall
length.
Overview:
The Torah opens with G-d's creation of the world in six days - plus
Shabbos. G-d planted a garden in Eden, with the Tree of Life in the
middle, and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. G-d told Adam
that he may eat from every tree except for the Tree of Knowledge.
The serpent persuaded Eve to eat from the tree, and she gave some
of its fruit to Adam. G-d punished each of the three, then clothed
Adam and Eve, and banished them from Eden. Eve gave birth to Cain
and Abel. Cain killed Abel, and subsequently Eve gave birth to Seth.
The Torah then lists the ten generations from Adam to Noah. When Noah
was 500 years old, he fathered Shem, Ham and Yapheth. G-d then decided
that man should live only to 120. G-d saw that the world was evil,
and decided to obliterate it, except for Noah and his family.
FROM THE MASTERS OF
KABBALA
From the holy Zohar, teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
"... out of the wilderness", means the desert [i.e. Sinai], from which
she inherited [the ability] to be a bride [malchut] and to enter under
the chupa canopy [bina].
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
* * * * *
From the holy Ari, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Safed
[The fact that the Torah begins with the letter beit of "Bereishit"]
teaches that the Torah has or contains two aspects: peshat (its simple
or literal meaning) and sod (its deeper meaning).
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
* * * * *
From the Shelah, Shney Luchot HaBrit by Rabbi
Isaiah Horowitz
All other creatures on earth would have dwelled in a "higher" existence;
there would not have been any trees that failed to produce edible fruit,
for instance.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
FROM THE CHASSIDIC
REBBES
Yom Kippur
"(He) forgives our sins, year after year." (from
the Yom Kippur prayers)
A human being, if wronged by his neighbor, will forgive him after
that person apologizes and begs for forgiveness, but will find it
more difficult to forgive a second time if the very same thing happens
again. How much more so is this true if it occurs a third or a fourth
time. To G-d, however, there is no difference between a first and
a thousandth offense committed against Him. G-d's attribute of mercy
has no limit or boundary, as it states, "For his mercy endures
forever."
(Rabbi Shneur Zalman, Tanya-Igeret Hateshuva)
"And G-d spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of
Aharon when they had come close to G-d and died." (Lev. 16:1)
Thus begins the Torah portion read on Yom Kippur. Several commentaries
explain that the two sons, Nadav and Avihu, experienced such an intense
and lofty state of spirituality that there was no way that they could
return to the material world. On Yom Kippur we experience a heightened
sense of spirituality, and on that day we all "come close to
G-d." But we have to carry that spirituality with us after Yom
Kippur and into our everyday material lives.
(Likutei Sichot) (from L'Chaim #390)
Sukkot
The four Hebrew letters of the word suka are an acronym for
"someich ve'ozer kol hanoflim - [He] supports and assists
all who fall." When a Jew fulfills the mitzva of suka,
G-d helps him in all he does and holds him by the hand.
(Bnei Yissaschar)
Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah
The spiritual influence elicited on Sukkot is an "encompassing
light," like a sukkah that surrounds a person but at a
certain distance. On Shemini Atzeret, in contrast, this light
is absorbed in the soul. This is the reason that moving from the sukkah
back to the house, from a temporary dwelling to a permanent one, arouses
joy. The move signifies that all the spiritual revelations of Sukkot
have been permanently absorbed.
(Lubavitcher Rebbe) (Days of Awe, Days of Joy)
Bereishit
"G-d saw every thing that He had made, and behold, it was
very good." (1:31)
Our Sages commented: "'Good' - refers to the good inclination;
'very good' refers to the evil inclination.' " The phenomenon
of teshuva, repentance, could not exist without the creation
of an evil inclination. Teshuva enables man to attain an even higher
spiritual level and completeness than before he sinned; thus, G-d
declared the creation "very good" only after Adam was created
with this potential.
(Lubavitcher Rebbe)
"G-d blessed the seventh day and sanctified it."
(2:3)
The day of Shabbat is intrinsically holy. Nonetheless, the Torah commands
us to "Remember the Shabbat day to make it holy" (Ex. 20:8).
For when a Jew remembers and observes Shabbat, it enhances its G-d-given
sanctity and adds to it.
(Sefat Emet)
A
MYSTICAL CHASSIDIC DISCOURSE
from the Chabad
Master series, produced by Rabbi Yosef Marcus for
www.ascentofsafed.com and www.kabbalaonline.org
An
essay from Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here)
(W:01-65/Bereshit)
Unity Among the Species
The festival of Sukkot, which begins this year on the evening
of the 29th of September and lasts for seven or eight days (depending
on if you are in Israel or elsewhere), follows the fast of Yom Kippur
by four days. It is customary to be happy and involve ourselves with
mitzvot during these days to show our gratitude and connection
to G-d.
This is important because the entire month of Tishrei is a "head"
month. This means that every day of Tishrei has special powers and an
impact on the coming year. More specifically, although the quantity
of blessings allotted to each of us is decided on Rosh Hashanah and
the appeal is on Yom Kippur, we still have another chance to change
this decision during Sukkot. The difference is that instead of approaching
our service in a way of awe, the required service for Sukkot is joy,
happiness and unity.
There are two special commandments during Sukkot which make it unique
among the other festivals. They are: (1) the act of dwelling in the
sukka for seven days (eight days outside of Israel), and (2)
the taking of the Four Species - the lulav (date palm), the etrog
(citron fruit), the haddasim (myrtle) and the aravot (willows).
There are many laws concerning these two very exalted mitzvot,
and although textual study is optimal, you also can ask a local rabbi
if you have any questions.
As people around the world return to their secure homes after a summer
outdoors, the Jewish people are doing the opposite. We leave our homes
to dwell in the sukka and are hence reminded of "who is
the Boss". We can easily fool ourselves into thinking that it was
our own efforts that brought about our success. Living in the uncertainty
of the sukka - knowing that if it rains, we get wet and if its
chilly, we get cold - reminds us that in every aspect of our lives,
G-d is really the one in control.
More deeply, the idea of the sukka is to be "hugged"
by G-d. This immersion in the mitzvah, by entering the sukka,
results in a level of union to the Infinite that is only available to
us after the Days of Awe. There are two advantages to hugging over other
types of affectionate contact. One is that as long as the one hugging
is holding on, the one getting hugged can't leave. Secondly, a unique
aspect of being hugged is that it brings into the relationship the back
of a person, a part of the body usually excluded. This is true with
the mitzvah of the sukka as well; as long as we do not
leave the sukka, the Almighty is still hugging us. Also, by living
in the sukka we are including parts of ourselves, i.e. sleeping,
relaxing, etc., which are usually outside of our active relationship
with
G-d.
Through Sukkot, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur, the Jewish people have
both individually and communally won against the negative spiritual
forces by being signed and sealed for another good and sweet year. On
Thursday, with great joy each of us will for the first time this year
make the blessing on the Four Species. By doing this, we are sending
out our own message of unity, with the traditional waving of the species
in all six directions, and should see ourselves as emerging from the
trial, waving the palm branch of victory.
The Jewish Oral Tradition speaks about the Four Species as being symbolic
of four types of Jews. The etrog, which has both a taste and
smell, symbolizes Jews who are both actively involved in Jewish lifestyle
(i.e. conscientiously perform the commandments) and learn and think
about their Jewish heritage.
The lulav, which has good taste but lacks good smell, represents
those Jews who are actively involved but lack proper knowledge and intentions.
The haddasim, which have a pleasant smell but lack a good taste
are the reverse, i.e. a Jew who might have good intentions but does
not do anything actively Jewish. Lastly, are the aravot, which
lack both good smell and taste, representing Jews who are both ignorant
of our tradition and are not actively involved in positive actions.
The mitzvah of the Four Species involves bringing them all together
as a bunch, so that, as the Almighty promises, one will help atone for
the other. This is particularly important after the High Holidays, for
what better ingredient for a successful new year than to break down
the separations between people. What father can resist seeing his children
loving one another.
Chag Sameyach and Shabbat Shalom, Shaul
P.S. Please also read my
weekly Shabbat Law, below.)
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here)
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