"In the beginning, G-d created the Heaven and the Earth" (Gen. 1:1). This is how the Torah begins. And the astute reader asks, what are the words, "in the beginning", coming to teach me?
The Torah is a book of laws for upright moral behavior but it is also a portal between the physical dimension and G-d. How can the two connect? How can the limited and finite connect with the unlimited and infinite. These are what the words, "in the beginning", are describing. They are describing the connecting piece between us and G-d. "In the beginning" means that prior to creation was created already the potential for G-d and created beings to connect.
Inside the world, is nested the potential for bridging that gap. However, this also means that the Five Books of Moses are predicated on the understanding that there is the One Above who has no beginning and no end, and it is our intention to bond with Him through our observance of His Torah. "In the beginning" also means that our world has a beginning, but our G-d does not. He is not defined or limited.
The giving of the Torah is compared to a marriage. The first stage in a marriage is that the newly-weds come closer - they open up to each other. Nevertheless, any good relationship hinges on the recognition that there will be aspects of the other person that I will never understand or relate to. The Torah can describe to us certain aspects of G-d and bring us closer to Him. But it is predicated on the understanding that there are aspects of the relationship that go beyond words and these aspects we cannot even "begin" to describe
Sunday, October 14, 2012
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