Parshas Bereishis: New Beginnings: It's All Good!

Parshas Bereishis 5782-New Beginnings: It’s all Good!!!

Torah Psych101

Dr. Jonathan M. Lasson

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Let’s start from the very beginning. What a very good place to start! This Shabbos, notably called ‘Shabbos Bereishis’ is about new beginnings. Philosophers may have argued that if there are new beginnings (plural), there must have been a beginning before this new beginning. If so, who created the first beginning? I prefer a simplistic approach and not go along with the idea that some external force created this beautiful world. That’s too complicated for my simple mind to comprehend. Rav Berel Wein likes to say that the Torah is less interested in sharing with us the “how” the world was created. Rather the Torah wants us to deal with the question of “what”. What are we supposed to do with our lives, now that we have a world? Scientists will never come to a consensus as to the how the world was created, and we might speculate this as well. Let’s just enjoy the fact that we have it, or as a friend of mind keeps telling me, STOP THINKING TOO MUCH!

This morning I woke up to a gorgeous picture that my son took of a magnificent sunrise on the Eastern shore of Maryland. He had texted me last night that he was going to have me in mind and wake up early to see the sunrise, my style. I am proud that my children have taken the same appreciation I have for the beauty that Hashem has created for us. This week is certainly a new beginning as we begin the reading of the Torah from the very beginning. It is also a personal new beginning as Torah Psych101 has completed one full year of podcasts.

What is always interesting to me is when people say כל התחלות קשות. “All beginnings are hard.” On some level it makes sense. New things are difficult. Change is difficult.  A new relationship. A new job. A move to a new city. I believe it is how we frame our worldview that will predict our emotional state following such a change.

When Hashem created the world, we never heard him say, “It was hard!” Instead, after each day of creating something incredible like heaven, earth, grass, animals, Hashem says “It was good!” Hashem approaches everything as if it is all good! The exception is after the sixth day where he says, “It was very good!” This is because man is perhaps better equipped of intense emotional expression after seeing something beautiful.

Obviously, we are not on the same level as Hashem. But after going through the Yomim Noraim and Sukkos and now Shabbos Bereishis, we are all capable of new beginnings and especially New Approaches. Therefore, we specifically refer to this Shabbos as ‘Shabbos Bereishis’. Next week we will not hear people in shul referring to the week as ‘Shabbos Noach’. That is because this is the week, we begin to make those positive changes because we are so much closer to Hashem after these days of Simcha.

Let’s take advantage and embrace the new beginnings that we have committed to during these times.