The Gift of Shabbat

Oct 25, 2003 By Rachel Ain | Commentary | Bereishit

In Parashat Bereishit, we are told that “God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Gen 1:27).

Between Creation and Revelation

Oct 21, 2006 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Bereishit

Creation and the act of creating stand at the essence of Parashat Bereishit.

The Universal and Particular Nature of Creation

Oct 22, 2011 By Andrew Shugerman | Commentary | Bereishit

Shortly after Rosh Hashanah this year, Jewish extremists torched a mosque in an Arab-Israeli village in the Galilee, damaging the building and destroying its holy books. Two days later, a rabbinic statement condemning this desecration of a house of worship on Israeli soil garnered the signatures of more than a thousand rabbis of all denominations within 36 hours of the document’s publication. One of my former JTS classmates, however, explained with great disappointment why he did not add his name to this effort.

The Myths of Creation

Oct 12, 2012 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Bereishit

With the celebration of this coming Shabbat, we return to the beginning—specifically, to the narrative of Creation.

Creation and Good Health

Oct 22, 2011 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Bereishit | Simhat Torah

With this week’s celebration of Simhat Torah and Shabbat Bereishit, we return to the very beginning of Torah as we read anew the narratives of Creation, the Garden of Eden, and the tragedy of Cain and Abel.

Sight and Knowledge

Oct 5, 2002 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Bereishit

As a teacher for JTS Kollot: Voices of Learning, I hear many voices of Torah that open my eyes to creative ways of reading the texts of our sacred tradition.