October 24, 2003 D'var Torah

Dear BSO Congregant,

This coming Shabbat, October 24-25, 2003 - Tishrei 29, 5764, we will read Parshat Bereshit (annual cycle - Genesis 1:1 - 6:8; triennial cycle Genesis 5:1 - 6:8). according to our triennial system of reading the Torah we now begin to read the third and final section of each parasha.

The Haftarah is from I Samuel 20:18 - 42. This is the Haftarah designated to be read whenever the following day (Sunday) is Rosh Hodesh - the beginning of the new month. This Sunday, October 26 (Tishrei 30) and Monday, October 27 (Heshvan 1) are both observed as Rosh Hodesh. A two day Rosh Hodesh observance occurs whenever the outgoing month has 30 days. In that case, day 30 of the outgoing month and day one of the new month are both observed as Rosh Hodesh. When the outgoing month has only 29 days, then only the first day of the new month is observed as Rosh Hodesh.

There is a school of thought, which promotes the idea that we can learn a worthy lesson from every single letter in the Torah. I’m not sure that this teaching is to be understood literally. Rather it may indicate the power and impact the entire Torah should have on our lives as Jews. Yet, without a doubt, it is clear that there are certain individual and single letters that can teach us important lessons.

For example, the rabbis who wrote the classical midrashim in Judaism were fascinated with the first letter of the Torah, the bet. Why does the Torah begin with this letter and not, let us say, an aleph? After all, aleph is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

While there are many classical answers to the question – “Why does the Torah begin with the letter bet?” I would like to suggest a different answer. Upon a quick review of the classical midrashim, the following answer was not included.

Why does the Torah begin with the letter bet? The reason is that the letter bet equals the number two (aleph=1, bet=2, gimel=3, etc.). The number two is specifically a number designed to reflect humanity and human beings. Why? Because every human being needs two others to be created. Two is a number, which represents humanity, while one is the number that we use to refer to God. Only God is one as we say in the Shema - “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.”

So why should the Torah begin with a number that reflects humanity and not divinity? Because ultimately, while the Torah is a book that comes from God, its purpose is to provide guidance to human beings. It is our book, at least as much as it is God’s. God may be the Author, but we are the human actors on the stage of the world who live out the directives and teachings found within the holy book of God.

Perhaps this is the reason why every tractate of the Talmud begins, not on page one, but on page two. These special holy books of the oral Torah known as the Talmud begin on page two to indicate that the purpose of the Talmud, as well as the Torah, is to guide human beings. The Talmud gives life to the Torah through its human interpretation and discussion. We, the Jewish people, give life to the Torah by our study and observing the mitzvot. If the five books of Moses were only books of theory, then perhaps symbolically it would be appropriate for the first letter of the Torah to be an aleph, and the first page of the Talmud to be one. However, the whole purpose of the Torah and its interpretation through the Talmud is to create human interaction and human interaction with the Divine.

God is the only One Who creates alone. The rest of us need partners. Once the Torah begins, the world begins. And once the world begins, partnership and creation begins. That’s why, in my opinion, the Torah begins with the letter bet, the letter which stands for two.

There will be no Shabbat Shalom D’var Torah next week.

Our service on Friday night, October 24 will begin at 7:30 PM and candle lighting time is 5:58 PM.

Our service on Shabbat morning, October 25 will begin at 9:00 AM. During this service we will celebrate the Bar Mitzvah of Steven Feldman. Mazel Tov!

Our Shabbat Minha/Ma-ariv/Havdalah service will begin at 5:30 PM. During this service we will celebrate the Bat Mitzvah of Jamie Berman. Mazel Tov!

Our service on Sunday morning, October 26 will begin at 8:45 AM.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Philip Pohl