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It is time to start again from the beginning. This Sunday, on Simchat Torah, we will read the final verses of the Torah from the book of Deuteronomy, and then we immediately will continue with reading the opening verses of the book of Genesis, the story of creation.
Genesis, chapter 1, verse 1, states, "In the beginning of God's creating the heavens and the earth." Does this sound familiar? Perhaps not. The more common translation of this first verse in the Torah is, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." The question is, which of these translations is a more accurate depiction of the original Hebrew text? And which translation better reflects the Jewish perspective on God and creation?
According to Jewish philosophy God is infinite in every way, including the duration of Divine existence. In other words, God has always been and always will be. If this is the case then, by definition, there truly is no beginning. As such, to say "in the beginning" would be incongruous. There is no beginning, only a continuum of Godliness.
While there may be no beginning for God, there is a beginning for us human beings and for the universe around us, as we know it. This is why some modern Jewish editions of the Bible do translate its opening words as "In the beginning of God's creating."
The Torah most certainly is not marking the beginning of God, rather it is teaching us about our own origins, the moment when Divinity expanded itself to include all of us in the process of existence. The birth of the universe was the preamble to the lives of each and every one of us, beginning with Adam and Eve, and incorporating all those who have ever walked this earth, including you and I.
How fortunate are we to be surrounded by the miracle of life! We have been allowed to partake of the Divine work of creation, as enumerated in this week's Torah portion. The deepest cosmic mysteries of the universe are addressed here in Parashat Breisheet.
Let us embrace the journey once again, and the opportunity to learn together all that our tradition has to offer. We have once again reached the beginning of our journey!
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach!
Cantor Zachary Konigsberg
[email protected]
917-696-0749
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