Rabbi's Sermons

Shabbat shalom!

And once again, Letachil miBereshit… like the song of Noemi Shemer… we begin from Bereshit… The Beginning… this first portion of the Torah has so many ideas and topics to discuss, that a whole life would not be enough to read and discuss all of them, by just having readings once a year. According to the Hebrew calendar, we just remembered a couple of days ago at Simchat Torah, “the date” one year ago, when this war in Israel began. Ribono shel Olam!, who would had believed that this war continues even in this precise moments... One year ago and one week later, during those difficult days, Smadar Bilik, from congregation Yozma at Modiin in Israel, shared with me her thoughts and feelings about the terrible events of October the 7^th. As a student at the HUC, she wrote precisely about Parashat Bereshit, and I would like to share those thoughts and feelings with you tonight.

"בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃ וְהָאָ֗רֶץ הָיְתָ֥ה תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י תְה֑וֹם וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים מְרַחֶ֖פֶת עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַמָּֽיִם׃ וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֖ים יְהִ֣י א֑וֹר וַֽיְהִי־אֽוֹר׃ - In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was void and darkness, on the face of the abyss; and the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters. And God said: “let there be light” and there was light". These are the first three verses of the Book of Genesis that we read this week opening the Torah scroll this year. Darkness was the first thing that appears in Genesis, but light is the first thing that was actually created. Light is the first thing that our eye is naturally drawn to.

The human eye, the delicate and complex organ that allows us to see, has developed and shaped itself over millions of years of evolution, while refining the role of each mechanism and each nerve, and this in order to allow us to absorb, process and digest the variety of images of so called, reality in front of us. One of the abilities developed in the eye is the ability to see at night. In our eye there are two mechanisms that allow vision - even if of poor quality - in a situation of almost total darkness. The more familiar mechanism is the expansion and contraction of the pupil, to allow more light to enter the eye as it gets darker. A less well-known mechanism is the presence of two types of light receptors in the retina - one for day vision and the other for night vision. In order to allow us to see even when the light is dim, the receptors responsible for night vision are in the eye in an amount 60 times greater than those responsible for day vision.

Since the night receptors adapt to the darkness gradually, our night vision sharpens precisely as the darkness around is more complete and prolonged. With the full potential of night vision, the human eye can distinguish in the dark very faint light sources, up to a thousand times weaker than those absorbed by it in daylight! A real wonder! Like in the physiological system of the eye, I wonder if our mental system also has a mechanism that allows us to recognize the flickering light in the heavy darkness. In a similar way, are there mechanisms in our social circles that allow us to absorb the light, even the faintest, precisely during periods of darkness?

Science may not be able to characterize the light receptors of the soul, which are especially sensitive in the dark, but I believe they are there. Everyone who has fought against darkness and evil, every man and woman who has survived a trauma, everyone who has found meaning in mourning, and everyone who has grown out of the pain will bear witness to them. All of us.

The mind, like the body, is capable of scarring. Cover the open wound slowly, so that it is not exposed all the time. 'Enfolding my soul' (as written in the book of Jonah) - these are the blood platelets of the soul, which build the sheath that prevents the blood from continuing to flow. But the soul is almost never scarred alone. The scar tissue is not as immune as normal skin tissue, and requires additional protection. The soul needs a network of sympathetic souls who echo the grief and struggles.

Although science may not be able to characterize the light receptors of society, of the family, of the community, of the people - I believe they are there. The rituals, prayers, stories and songs will bear witness to them - all human means of expression were designed to give meaning to suffering and meaning to a shared story. Hundreds of packages for donation being packed, thousands of meals for the soldiers being cooked, millions of calls and messages of concern and compassion will testify to them. The fact that we are here, in the synagogue and at home, but together, groping for the light - in the midst of a terrible war, whose sole purpose is to sow fear and darkness, will testify to them.

The operation of the light receptors in the eye is a simple biological and physical fact. But the light receptors of the soul, of the community, of the people - these are more elusive. Many times they are not attracted to the light but rather to the darkness. Our mental light receptors are not a fact – they are a task. These days, it is an ongoing task. Time after time we are required, and we will be required, to look into the darkness, and turn our eyes back to the light. To avert our eyes from the news to our family and community members, to avert our eyes from disinformation on the Internet, fake news and political bickering, to our men and women soldiers, to avert our eyes from the terrible videos so as not to scar the soul any more, so as not to blind its light receptors.

Everyone who donated money for Israel, who packed packages for the home and the soldiers during this last year of war, everyone who participated in Israel in a funeral or a shivah, or that felt the pain watching it, in front of a video or TV News program… everyone who picked up the phone to a family member or community member who was shocked, in pain and worried, and everyone who chose to be in community with us here today… NOW, in the synagogue and at home in zoom - you all have chosen to train your soul to see light – as the Israeli song says: LAALOT GAVOAH, LIROT ET HAOR – To climb very high, to see the light. You have all chosen to train our community and our people in the light of support, resilience, comfort and LOVE.

In Psalm 36 it is expressed so beautifully: “⁸ How precious is Your faithful care, O God! Mankind shelters in the shadow of Your wings. ¹⁰ כִּֽי־עִ֭מְּךָ מְק֣וֹר חַיִּ֑ים בְּ֝אוֹרְךָ֗ נִרְאֶה־אֽוֹר׃ - KI IMJA - Because With You is the fountain of life; by Your light we see the light”. The sages say: “Do not read IMJA - “with you” – but AMJA – “your people”… so we read: “Because Your people is the fountain of life; by Your light we see the light”. We are ALL together, the source of light for ourselves.

We begin another journey from Bereshit, may it be a journey of peace and blessing. Ken yehi Ratzon.. so may it be His will. Amen.

Shabat Shalom!

Rabbi David Laor

October 25^th 2024