Weekly Parsha

Mazal Tov to Reilsa Haiat for her birthday.

Refuah Sheimah: Stephen Waczkiewicz (Shimon ben Sarah), Yossefa (Josie) "bat Sharon", Rafael ben Gladis e Esther Bracha "bat Sarah".

Continue praying for: Teddy Welz, Miriam (Mariana) "bat Zulay", Adina (Heidi) "bat Sarah" e Yosefa (Josie) "bat Sharon".

Bereishit

Genesis 1:1 - 6:8

Bereishit, Hebrew for "in the beginning", is the first book of the Five Books of Moses that begins with the Six Days of Creation, the Shabbat, the story of the Garden of Eden -- the first transgression, consequences and expulsion; Cain & Abel, the ten generations to Noah, the Almighty sees the wickedness of man in that generation and decrees to "blot out man" (i.e. the flood).

One of the most profound verses in the whole Torah is "And G-d created man in His own Image." Since G-d does not have a physical being, this means that we are endowed with free-will, morality, reason and the ability to emulate G-d Who bestows kindness. Also, if we really appreciate that we are created in the image of G-d, we realize that we have intrinsic worth. Therefore, there is no need to be depressed wondering if you have intrinsic worth!

"In the beginning of G-d's creating the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1) ... G-d blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because on it He abstained from all His work which G-d created to make (Gen. 2:3).

These two verses encompass all of Creation. The opening three words end in the Hebrew letters taf, aleph, mem which comprise "emet" (truth), and the closing three words end in aleph, mem, taf which spells "emet." Reb Simcha Bunim of P'shis'che cites the Talmudic statement, "The seal of G-d is emet" and comments, "It is customary for an author to place his name in the opening of his book. God placed His Name, emet, in the opening chapter of the Torah. Emet thus envelops all of creation, a testimony to G-d as the Creator."

Divrei Shaul notes that all traits can be a matter of degree. There can be greater beauty and lesser beauty, greater wisdom and lesser wisdom, greater strength and lesser strength. Only one trait cannot be more or less: truth. Something is either true or it is not true.

G-d is identified with truth. Just as truth can never be altered, because altered truth is no longer truth, there can be no change in G-d (Malachi 2:6).

The Talmud says that emet is broad-based, consisting of the first letter of the alphabet, aleph, the middle letter, mem, and the last letter, taf (Shabbos 55a). Truth, therefore, has stability and durability. Falsehood, on the other hand is the Hebrew word sheker, consisting of three letters near the end of the alphabet. Sheker is top-heavy and cannot endure.

To the extent that a person lives with truth is the extent one identifies with G-d. Any falsehood distances a person from G-d.

All truth goes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed. Then, it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident. 

The truth only hurts for those who prefer to believe the lie.

Shabbat Shalom.

R. Ovadiah Tank

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Rabbi Tank is a professor at the American Jewish College, where he teaches classes on Talmud, Jewish History, and Contemporary Jewish Law. Rabbi Tank is dedicated to finding modern utility and meaning in ancient wisdom texts and is pleased to provide spiritual, cultural, social and educational programming to communities around the world. 

Rabbi Tank was educated at Chabad Yeshivas in New York and Miami. He studied Biblical Archeology at Bar Ilan University and Jewish Studies at Harvard University. Rabbi Tank has a Bachelor degree in Business Administration and he is also graduated in International Economic Development from the University of Oxford. 

Rabbi Tank is a Jewish Chaplain actively involved in peace negotiations and relief operations. Rabbi Tank is the director of international affairs at the World Jewish Confederation headquarters in New York and He is member of the White House National Religious Leaders , an Executive Office of the President of the United States in Washington, D.C.

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