Rabbi Howard Morrison

Today is Shabbat Bereishit, literally, the Sabbath of new beginning, as we start to read the Torah anew. This year, the new beginning of our Torah reading cycle takes on new meaning. Last Shabbat, when Israel was to begin celebrating Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah on one joyous day, what should have been rejoicing turned into horror, tragedy, terror, and death. Today, a week later, we begin our Torah just as Scripture records the nature of the earth before the actual creation narrative:

"The earth was unformed and void with darkness over the surface of the deep (Genesis 1:1)."

Such a darkness has befallen Israel and the Jewish world over the past seven days. We have known of pogroms throughout our history. Now, a pogrom of the largest proportions actually took place in our modern sovereign homeland perpetuated with Nazi-like behaviors from evil animals. 

Within our Beth Emeth community, we have member families living and visiting in Israel. We have member families whose children or other relatives are serving in the IDF as we speak. We have Israeli families in our shul whose relatives are living in fear at this moment. We have our beautiful Shinshinim, Omri and Sharon, who are living separate from their families so far away.

It is noteworthy in our Parsha today that the first act of creation by God is the creation of light. "God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness (Genesis 1:3)."

We dare not confuse light and darkness. We dare not succumb to moral equivalence and relativism. We dare not be seduced into false notions that there is good and bad on both sides of the current horror. There is no ambivalence, no ambiguity, no doubt, no question.

There is clear light, and there is clear darkness.

There is clear right, and there is clear wrong.

There is clear righteousness, and there is clear evil.

Israel was provoked by sudden acts of barbarism, cruelty, and savagery. Israel has been pulled into a DEFENSIVE war not of its making.

 You and I can help to shed light over the darkness:

• Share the truth
• Reach out to government officials and the media
• Remind Israel that she is not alone
• Donate money
• Connect with family and friends in Israel
• Pray as individuals and in communal settings

Shabbat Bereishit is a call to action. We Jews are united in all of our diversity. We Ashkenazim or Sefardim, liberal or traditional, left-wing or right-wing are united as one family, as one people. We are united in our grief, and we are united in our resolve. We are ONE.

Sadly, this crisis of so many dimensions will not be resolved so quickly. When we gather for Parshat Noach next week, the Torah reading begins with the words, "Va'Timaleh Ha'Aretz Chamas - chamas ( translated as either lawlessness or violence) filled the earth (Genesis 6:11)." While the Hebrew word, chamas, is linguistically distinct from the Arabic abbreviation of chamas, it is noteworthy that the Biblical Hebrew word means "violence" or "lawlessness" depending on the translation. The Hebrew, chamas, implies more than just the brute force attacks we think of when we hear the English word, violence. It can also include injustice, oppression, and cruelty. I dare say the Hebrew, chamas, aptly describes the evil animals who have murdered over a 1000 Israelis, injured thousands more, and taken a 100 or so as hostage.

We are a people always filled with hope. Our anthem is correctly entitled, "Ha'Tikvah."

Kohelet, the book of Ecclesiastes, associated with Shemini Atzeret, contains the famous expressions: "a time to kill and a time to heal . . . a time to weep and a time to laugh . . . a time to mourn and a time to dance. . . a time to keep silence and a time to speak . . .a time for war and a time for peace."

Sadly, right now is a time to kill evil, a time to weep, a time to mourn, a time to speak, and a time for war. May the day come soon when we can say it is a time to heal, a time to laugh, a time to dance, a time to keep silence, and a time for peace.

Each morning at the outset of our daily prayers, we recite a psalm which concludes with the words:

"Hafachta Mispdi L'Machol Li,  Pitachta Saki Va'T'Azraini Simcha - You turned my mourning into dancing; you changed my sackcloth into robes of joy (Psalm 30)."

May this daily sentiment come true and speedily in our day.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Howard Morrison