Parashat Bereshit: Foundations of goodness

“A time of trouble for Jacob, but from it, he shall be saved” (Jeremiah 30,7). At the beginning of the year and the start of a new Torah reading cycle, the Jewish people find themselves in a particularly difficult situation.

Barbaric, bloodthirsty terrorists slaughtered many hundreds of Jews and kidnapped dozens, whose fate remains unknown.

Jews in Israel and the Diaspora come together in prayer and hope for victory over the enemy, praying for the well-being of the IDF soldiers and security forces who are dedicating their lives to defending the people and the land – as well as for the speedy recovery of the wounded.

As we approach the reading of the weekly Torah portion Bereshit (Genesis) in this challenging situation, we seek to find some anchor in it amid the terrible chaos we are experiencing now. This desire is natural for every Jew who believes that “‘Not by military force and not by physical strength, but by My spirit,’ says the Lord of Hosts” (Zechariah 4,6). As Jews of faith, we trust in God to grant success to the leaders of the nation and its commanders in standing against the enemy and prevailing over them. 

Parashat Bereshit lays the foundations for universal human existence.

It is not about the Jewish people alone but about all of humanity and the reality in which we exist. In times as difficult as those in which the Jewish people find themselves now, questions arise: Are we living in a good world or an evil one? Is there order in reality, or is it chaos? Does God watch over humanity, or does He abandon them?

These are profound questions that the Torah addresses directly or indirectly in many places.

In parashat Bereshit, we can find references to these questions.

The first chapter of the Book of Genesis tells the story of creation. Creation stories exist in all cultures. In ancient times, there were often mythological accounts that described gods creating the world or humanity to satisfy their needs. In the modern scientific era, we often speak of the Big Bang theory as an explanation for the origin of the universe. The Torah tells a story that, by the way, can align perfectly with scientific theories, about the creation of the world. While the details of the story are important in their own right and warrant examination, we are asked to consider the framework of the story, which reflects a particular perspective on the reality we inhabit.

Firstly, the story of creation in Bereshit asserts that there is order in reality.

Contrary to how it may sometimes appear, that chaos is the central characteristic of reality. The Torah, in fact, teaches that reality was created in a miraculous order. This order establishes a framework within which humanity is invited to act – to perform positive deeds and refrain from negative ones. This order is essential for us to believe that our actions have value. We do not operate in a world of randomness and chance but in a world that was intentionally designed.

With this understanding, we can take responsibility for the future and act to advance ourselves and the surrounding reality.

But that’s not all.

Even if reality was created and operates according to an order, how do we know it is good?

Many of us tend to think that the basic conditions of human existence are quite poor, an attitude sometimes adopted due to challenging personal experiences.

However, when we examine the story of creation in parashat Bereshit, we find a different narrative: that reality is good.

Six times the text repeats the phrase “And God saw that it was good,” and on the seventh occasion, it summarizes, saying, “And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” The world is good.

There is room for progress, for optimism, and for having faith.

The sages of the Midrash interpret the phrase “very good” as if it were written “good – man” (in Hebrew, the letters of “very” and “man” are the same but written in a different order). It’s not just the surrounding reality that is fundamentally good; even the human being, that creature we know so intimately yet sometimes understand so poorly, is good. The Torah instills faith in the world and in humanity, calling on humans to act in reality, to believe in themselves and in it, to understand the value of human existence – our own and that of others – and from there, to give significance and value to our choices.

These principles accompany us and guide us at all times. Even when we examine the differences between us and our enemies – the impressive humanistic behavior of the Jewish people compared to the cruel barbarism of our enemies – it is important to remember the foundations upon which the Jewish people have thrived and reached such high moral standards.

We must take pride in these values that the Torah bequeaths to us and continue to pray for good tidings, salvation, and comfort.

“Be strong, and let us strengthen ourselves for our people and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what is good in His eyes” (2 Samuel 10,12). ■

The writer is rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites.