If you were writing a Torah for our times, where would you begin? Would you start with the stories of Abraham and Sarah, or would you begin with Moses, Aaron, Miriam and the Exodus? Alternatively, would you start with King David—the first Biblical character that evinces some actual archeological evidence? Any of those choices might be the natural starting place for a history of the Jewish people, however, our ancestors began their story telling with a multi-layered story of creation. So doing, they reveal a particular orientation to human existence that is extraordinary in its scope and implications.
Over the next few days, I’ll be sharing some perspectives on the arc of the Genesis narrative leading to Abraham and how some of its eternal truths and enduring challenges might speak to us in our contemporary context. As we complete a summer that was the warmest on record, the emergency of climate change becomes even more apparent. The Genesis stories serve as one more reminder of our responsibilities to our planet’s wellbeing and the security of the generations that will follow us.
Bereishit – the Story of the World:
Rashi, the medieval French commentator, weighs in on why the Torah begins with creation rather than the story of the Israelite nation. His response is twofold. First, by telling of the origins of the universe, God reminds humanity that it all belongs to God, not to any human being. Secondly, Rashi asserts that God created the world in a way that reflects God’s quality of mercy, acknowledging that human beings could not endure a world of absolute justice. Afterall, it takes only two short chapters for humanity to sin so grievously that we are cast from the utopian garden of Eden.
The eternal truths revealed in Rashi’s interpretation of this ancient and sacred story are that despite our place at the top of creation, we are neither the owners of, nor the virtuous stewards of this planet. We are flawed sojourners who have been given the gift of a bountiful planet and our proclivity for error requires abundant forgiveness.
From this place of humility and awe it is incumbent on us to recognize our responsibility to both correct the ways that have resulted in a decaying climate and to rise to our level of stewardship that maintains its livability for the next generations.
We stand, like no generation before us, on the precipice of a world in danger. May our reading of this ancient creation story compel us to act in earnest, in ways reflective of the best that is within us to preserve our most precious possession.
— Rabbi Ron Stern