Establishing Order
for a New World
The first parasha of the yearly
cycle is Bereishit, which is also known as the Story of Creation. It describes
the steps that were taken by the L-rd in order to bring about this world. Gen1:1-6:8
tells of the 6 days, in which this was done as well as the story of the lives
of the first two humans and their kin.
The first four days include the
creation of Heaven and Earth, Light and Dark, Evening, and Morning, and Seas
and Plants. Day 5 introduces sea-creatures and birds. Day 6 sees the creation
of insects, beasts of land, and humans. On day 7, the L-rd rested, establishing
what would become the Sabbath. The next 4 and a half chapters share the story
of Adam and Eve, the Garden of Eden, the first sin, the first murder, and man’s
expansion on Earth until the time of Noah.
I choose to hone in on the story of
Creation for this particular summary. In today’s time-senstive,
get-it-done-yestarday age, it seems appropriate. Our L-rd is all-powerful and
therefore could’ve created everything with the snap of a finger. However, He
chose to do it over the course of 6 days. I feel that this detail is
note-worthy because anything worth doing takes time. We should feel an awesome
self-worth. More importantly, we should value the time we have on this planet
that was so lovingly made. In valuing that time, we can stop and think about
that the order that should be kept in our own lives. The L-rd knew that the
fish couldn’t be created without having an ocean to live in. The same goes for
people and land. You can’t build a house from the top down. You must build a
foundation first. Time for work, school, etc is important, but there should
also be time set aside for Torah study, prayer and mitzvot. The latter are the foundation
for a good and purposeful life. In parting, remember to keep order in your life
and that even G-d rested!
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